Something Suddenly Has Begun
by brookemopolitan
Summary: Those warm, heavy, "I want a baby" feelings didn't scare Kate so much anymore. Shamelessly fluffy pregnancy fic. Set beyond s5. Rating subject to change
1. Chapter 1

**This is the fic I have wanted to write since forever... I hope I do it justice.**

**Annie, this is for you, my darling. Tadpole, thank you for the edits **

**I own nothing but the Castle DVDs.**

_Suddenly the world_

_Seems a different place_

_Somehow full of grace_

_And delight._

_How was I to know_

_That so much love_

_Was held inside me?_

_Something fresh and young_

_Something still unsung_

_Fills the night._

_-Jean Valjean, Suddenly (Les Miserables 2012 Cast Soundtrack, performed by Hugh Jackman)_

* * *

It had been one of the most horrific cases Kate had ever experienced as a lead detective. Bodies had appeared in six different alleyways across the jurisdictions of three different precincts (which had essentially denigrated into a pissing competition, with a healthy serving of good old fashioned sexism on the side when the aging lieutenant of the 33rd precinct had discovered that the Captain and lead detective with the highest closure rate at the 12th precinct were both female).

Espo, begging for a fresh set of eyes, had called Kate as she was getting into a town car at JFK airport, fresh from her honeymoon. She'd hit the ground running, throwing herself into this nightmare of a case without even stopping at the loft to change.

Castle had spun every crazy theory he could think of. He'd been a quiet tower of strength for Kate, supplying caffeine and encouragement when she needed it, wordlessly steering her into the supply closet so she could burst into sleep deprived tears of frustration at the lack of leads.

The FBI was threatening to take jurisdiction of the case when Ryan (living up to his reputation as King of all Surveillance Media) finally caught a break on a piece of footage from a traffic camera near one of the murder sites.

Kate had never been more grateful to sign off on her paperwork and crawl into bed with her husband.

She slept for fifteen solid hours, before waking in the early afternoon to the feeling of Castle's nails gently scraping patterns against the skin of her back.

"Hey," she sighed blearily, throat scratchy from sleep. She curled up against the solidness of his body, enjoying the rare chance to wake up slowly, tangled up with her new husband, rather than having her ass hauled out of bed by a body drop.

Kate's eyes were dropping shut again, the gentle rhythm of Castle's fingertips against her bare skin softly lulling her back to sleep. "The world sucks, Castle. Sometimes I hate people," she murmured. She was just docile enough that her tongue was loose, and she nuzzled her nose against Castle's throat. "You never lose sight of the good stuff in the world. I wish I could do that," she sighed.

Castle pressed a kiss against her forehead. "Get dressed," he whispered. "I'll make coffee."

When Castle had made coffee and returned to the bedroom, Kate hadn't moved. "Kate, get up," Castle ordered, placing the coffee cups on the bedside table to pull away the bedding Kate had piled around her.

"Castle, no," Kate whined. "I am not leaving this room today. I'm going to stay in bed and let myself wallow for the day. Then tomorrow I'm going to get up and keep doing my job."

"Sweetheart, I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist," Castle ran his hand up Kate's arm. "If you get up, I'll take you to the place I go when I realise that the world sucks."

* * *

Kate was quiet, her hand tucked into Castle's as they walked out of the subway station. Castle knew better than to interpret her silence as anger. He was well aware of the difficulties that come along with life as a homicide detective, coupled with Kate's often introverted nature, her silence was her way of processing the emotional toil of such a difficult case.

"Where are we?" Kate asked quietly.

"This is a centre designed for kids to come to after school. A place that they can come and be safe. This isn't a great neighbourhood and most of these kids have parents who work long hours to make ends meet," Castle paused to scrawl both of their names on the sign in sheet (taking great pleasure in the fact that he could scribble R & K Castle) and handed Kate a visitor's badge to pin to her shirt.

"Pauline, the director of this place, is a saint. She works her ass off keeping this place available for local kids. There she is now," Castle turned to greet Pauline in his typically exuberant style, pulling her into a hug and placing brotherly kiss on her cheek. "Pauline, meet my wife, Kate," he introduced them proudly.

His words were cut off by the loud pounding of tiny feet and a small grunt of surprise when a pint sized body slammed into his legs. "Uncle Ricky!" The tiny girl exclaimed, her wide smile revealing several missing teeth. She squeezed his leg tighter. "Uncle Ricky, we _need_ you," she implored.

Castle hesitated, looking at Kate. "You heard her, Castle. They need you. I'm sure Pauline and I can find something to talk about," Kate told him. A warm, heavy feeling began to settle over Kate when she saw Castle swing the little girl onto his shoulders and race down the hallway.

"Tell me about this place," Kate requested as she followed Pauline down the hallway for a tour of the centre.

"We've been operating for about fifteen years now. I grew up in a rough neighbourhood," Pauline began. "Lost more than one person I cared about to gang violence or drugs. My grandmother was a kickass woman. She was the great granddaughter of slaves and she marched with Dr King," Pauline paused, gesturing to a room full of high schoolers helping a group of elementary school aged kids with their homework. "She made it damn clear to me that an education was the only way I was getting out of the ghetto. So I kept my head down and worked my ass off at school. Became an English teacher, eventually started working as a guidance councillor," Pauline neatly sorted a bookcase, tidying the books into height order. "But I wanted to do something more than help in a school. So I set this place up. I'm totally not-for-profit and I get to make a difference in the life of kids."

"How did Castle find out about this place?" Kate asked.

"I'd been operating for about a year and I was struggling. It was looking like I was going to have to shut the doors. Rick was just starting out the _Storm_ series and was doing some kind of research in the area. He saw me cleaning graffiti off the front of the building and asked what the place was. I hadn't even finished explaining when he pulled out his chequebook and wrote me out a cheque on the spot. He's been a regular donor ever since and he and Alexis have been coming down consistently to visit for the last decade," Pauline answered. They'd come full circle and Pauline led Kate into a huge playroom. Castle was seated, his long legs crammed under a tiny table, tiara plunked on his head as he balanced a miniature plastic teacup in his large hand.

"I've got some stuff to handle in the office, but go have fun," Pauline told Kate, before bustling out of the room.

"Having fun there, Castle?" Kate asked teasingly, adjusting the plastic tiara on his head.

"I will have you know that my name is Mrs. Nesbitt and our tea party is going just smashingly," Castle replied, a ridiculously over the top pompous accent colouring his words.

"I apologise for interrupting. As you were," Kate replied, backing away from the table. The warm, heavy feeling was back. It curled around her stomach, sitting comfortably, murmuring quietly that the illusive right time might finally be here.

"Uncle Ricky, who is that?" She heard one of the little girls playing tea parties ask.

"She looks like a princess," one of the other little girls stage whispered.

"She does, doesn't she?" Castle agreed. (Kate privately disagreed. She was wearing no make up, sporting more than one stress induced break out and she couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten something with fiber in it, and her digestive system was going into protest as a result).

"Uncle Ricky, are you going to marry her?"

"I already did," Castle answered, his words met with excited squeals from the gaggle of little girls.

Kate wandered over to a bookshelf, where a little boy who couldn't be more than three was pulling picture books out, occasionally stopping to rub his eyes.

"Hi, I'm Kate," she introduced herself quietly, privately petrified that the kid would start screaming the second he saw her.

"I Mikey," the little boy answered. He studied Kate, his serious dark eyes boring into hers. He picked up a picture book and grabbed Kate's hand, leading her over to an overstuffed armchair. Kate took the hint and sat down. Mikey climbed up and settled himself into her lap, handing her a copy of _The Very Hungry Caterpillar_, opening it up to the first page. Mikey rested his head on Kate's shoulder, his soft curls tickling her chin. Securing an arm around his waist, the smell of little boy in her nose, Kate began to read. By the time she had finished the book Mikey was asleep.

Kate carefully cradled his tiny body, easing the book out of his clutched fingers. She settled back into the chair, content to sit as the little boy dozed.

"Kate, you have the magic touch. Mikey hasn't napped in weeks," Pauline murmured, her hand reaching out to brush his curls. "He's my grandnephew," Pauline explained. "My niece fell pregnant when she was seventeen. She managed to finish school and now she's training to be a nurse. Mikey hangs out with me when she has class."

Pauline offered to take Mikey to her office to nap in his playpen.

"Oh no, that's fine," Kate assured her. "I'm good right here, and I'd hate for him to miss story time even if he's napping," Kate nodded towards the gaggle of children, sitting wide-eyed, listening to the story of Sir Richard and Princess Katherine, the most famous tiger tamers in Ye Old York. Castle was like the Pied Piper. There wasn't a peep out of the kids (and a few of the older ones abandoned their homework to sneak in and listen to the stories).

Kate brushed a hand over Mikey's thick curls, smiling as he nuzzled closer into the space between her shoulder and neck. Those thick, heavy, warm feelings spread throughout Kate's body, and they didn't scare her like they once had. If anything, they felt good. They felt right.

* * *

Castle's hand rested on the small of Kate's back as he ushered her into the elevator back at their building. He'd insisted on taking Kate out for dinner and had promised her a foot massage when they got home.

"I hope it's okay that I took you there," Castle ventured, relieved when Kate stepped closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's hard to be miserable when you're surrounded by so much joy. Those kids are just happy to see me and not because I'm Richard Castle, best selling mystery novelist, but because I'm Uncle Ricky, the guy who plays tea parties and sometimes lets five year old girls put makeup on him. You should see them freak out when Alexis comes down…"

Kate cut him off as they stepped into the loft. "Castle, I want a baby," She announced. The keys fell from Castle's hands as he stoof, immobile. "I know we've only talked about it and we agreed that we would wait until the time was right, but I think this is it. My job isn't exactly ideal for raising a child, but that isn't going to magically change. We're in a good place. I feel like I could actually do this without screwing the kid up completely and it's not like I'm getting any younger," Kate barrelled on, desperate to get all her feelings out on the table. "I dream about it sometimes. A chubby little thing falling asleep on me with big blue eyes. I can't stop thinking about it. What it would be like, to have a baby; be a mom," she finally realised she was rambling. "Castle, say something. Please."

"I couldn't take my eyes off you when you were holding that baby," he breathed. "You really want to do this?" Castle asked, his hands coming to rest on her cheekbones.

Kate nodded seriously. "I accidentally left my birth control in the bedside table of the last hotel we stayed at. I haven't had the time to see my doctor to get a new prescription."

"So you've been off The Pill for almost two weeks now?" Castle confirmed.

Kate shrugged. "I might have taken it late a few times when we were away. Or missed it all together," she admitted sheepishly.

Castle kissed her and scooped her up. He carried her through to the bedroom and lowered her onto the bed. "Let's make a baby."

* * *

_Six weeks later_

Kate had made good use of an empty loft on her afternoon off. After soaking in the tub, she exfoliated head to toe, shaved her legs, put a mask on her face and treatment in her hair.

She was just beginning to light the candles that she had scattered all over the loft when the door swung open. She shot Castle a grin when he walked through the door. "Hey Stud," she greeted him, pressing a soft kiss against his mouth. "How was your meeting with Dr Death?" She asked.

"He gave me the answers I wanted," Castle replied. "Something smells good," he murmured, kissing the nape of Kate's neck (she'd twisted her hair up, leaving her throat and shoulders deliciously bare).

Kate blew out the taper and turned to face him. "Go take a shower, Castle. Dinner will be done when you get out."

Castle inspected the table, reeling at the amount of effort Kate had taken to make it. "Kate," he called out. "What wine do you want with dinner? I think there's a bottle of that Australian merlot you like."

Kate looked over at him from the stove where she was neatly plating the mind-blowingly good pasta she'd made when they'd first stayed at the Hamptons.

"I've already got a drink, but get yourself whatever you like."

Castle knew something was up. Kate had lit every single candle in the loft, cooking him his favourite meal and was swirling the ice in her cocktail glass (vodka sunrise, he assumed, but she'd refused to let him mix it) like the cat that got the cream.

"Did you sneak in and read my Nikki draft?" He asked as Kate brought out his favourite chocolate mousse for dessert.

"What makes you ask me that?" Kate asked.

"Something is up! You never dress up for dinner at home, you've made me my favourite meal ever and since when do you turn down wine to drink a vodka sunrise like a seventeen year old girl?"

"Who says I'm drinking a vodka sunrise?" Kate asked, holding out the glass to give him a whiff.

"There's no alcohol in that," Castle muttered. "There's no alcohol in that," he repeated, excitement seeping into his tone.

Kate's grin was so wide it threatened to split her face in two. "There's going to be no alcohol in my glass for a while," she told him. "Castle, I'm pregnant."

* * *

**I sincerely hope that at least one of you got the Toy Story reference in this.**

**Reviews=love. And there's only a few more days until Castle is back on tv... so share the love?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all SO much for your amazing reviews. I will respond to all of them, but my internet is a little sketchy at the moment, and my first priority is to get my work up and posted. But rest assured, I treasure every single review, and will reply to them ASAP (tomorrow is looking like the day that my internet will be fixed! YAY!). There was also a slight delay on chapter 2 because I was busy freaking out over 5x10 and frantically writing a post ep (which you can check out on my profile, hint hint)**

**I must say a massive thank you to my twitter buddy some1tookmename (some1tookmyname here on ) for her amazing insights into pregnancy (I'm not a mama, and I want to get it right). Her insights have been invaluable... She's also a writer, though she writes for Bones... if you're that way inclined, go check out her work, because I think she's pretty fab. A massive thank you to my beta, Tadpole, who calmly sat with me as I freaked out over almost giving Kate an 11 month pregnancy and picking up my comma abuse. You're the best!**

**I own nothing! I am le sad.**

* * *

The gentle scratching of Castle's nails down her back would have been the perfect way to wake up. Instead, Kate woke up to a rapidly churning stomach. She managed to haul ass to the ensuite with just enough time to blow whatever cookies were left from last night's meal. She collapsed on the floor, the cool tile soothing her clammy skin.

"Are you okay?" Castle asked blearily, stumbling into the bathroom.

"Your kid is trying to kill me," Kate grumbled. She picked herself up off the floor and clambered to the sink. She loaded her toothbrush up and steeled herself to brush. Her gag reflex kicked into gear the second she put her toothbrush in her mouth, but Kate was determined to get her teeth clean, no matter what. She finished brushing and looked over at Castle, who was staring at her, awestruck.

"What?" She asked, twisting her hair into a ponytail.

"My kid," he murmured. "Kate, we're having a baby."

Kate slinked over to Castle, resting her forearms on his shoulders. "Good morning, Daddy," Kate chirped.

Castle tugged Kate into an embrace. "Hey there, Mommy," he replied, his voice low and husky in her ear.

Kate bit her lip, unable to contain her smile. "I'm gonna be a Mom," she sighed happily. "I have a doctor's appointment today," Kate informed him. "You want to come?"

"Really?" Castle asked eagerly.

"Of course. You're fifty percent responsible for the minion. Why wouldn't you be there?" Kate asked.

Castle's face fell slightly. "Meredith wouldn't let me come to any of her appointments. She wouldn't even let me be in the room when Alexis was born. It was a scheduled C-section so that she could have a lift and tuck at the same time," He answered, a tiny bit of bitterness seeping into his tone.

Kate sighed. There was still so much that she didn't know about Castle's life. He was as difficult to read as she was; and in some ways, so much better at hiding anything he didn't want people to know. "Richard Castle, I will kick your ass if you're not in the room when I deliver. And I wouldn't have told you about the appointment if I didn't want you there."

He didn't respond. He only tightened his arms around her, burying his face in her neck.

Kate's fingers played with the soft hairs on the nape of his neck. "Castle, I'm not doing it alone. I'm doing this with you. So you get an opinion in pretty much everything."

"What time is your appointment?" Castle asked; his voice muffled by her skin.

"Ten thirty," Kate replied.

"Well then, I am of the opinion that we should have a shower, right now."

* * *

It was probably too early to be able to tell, but Kate totally had a pregnancy glow. She left her recently darkened hair out to hang around her face in loose waves and her flat boots had her at perfect hugging height as they walked through the crisp October air. She was Kate Castle, newlywed and a woman in the early stages of her pregnancy, not Kate Beckett, the badass homicide detective.

Castle handed her a coffee cup and linked his fingers with hers as they headed toward the subway. "Are you even allowed to have coffee?" He asked her.

Kate shrugged. "I think a little is okay, but it's probably yet another question to put on the list," she replied, taking a sip. She instantly recoiled. "Urgh, what did they do to this?" She asked.

Castle took the cup off her, taking a hesitant sip. "This tastes exactly like it always does, Kate."

Kate frowned, taking another sip. "You've got to be kidding me. It tastes like I just swallowed liquid metal."

Castle laughed out loud. "You know that's a symptom of pregnancy, right?"

Kate's eyes widened. "What?" she looked down at her beloved coffee cup like it had betrayed her.

Castle took the cup out of her hand, dumping both coffees into a trashcan. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll go without too. But you are going to be one cranky Mama bear," He teased. He placed a hand on her lower back, guiding her onto the subway car.

"I just want coffee, Castle. Does the minion hate me that much already?" Kate whined. She rested her head on his shoulder, trusting him to keep her upright as the busy train began to move.

"Tired already?" He asked.

Kate nodded. "Uhuh."

"Have you given any thought as to how you're going to tell your Dad?" Castle asked her.

Kate shrugged. "As long as we don't get papped before he finds out, I don't care. But I think we should tell him soon. What about your Mom and Alexis?"

"Let's have them over for dinner. I'm sure you'll have to have all kinds of fun tests they won't let me in the room for. I'll make some calls then."

"Sounds good," Kate agreed, closing her eyes.

* * *

Kate had blood drawn, tests ordered and a pap smear.

"Let's talk health concerns," Dr. Swinton, Kate's no nonsense (but incredibly well regarded) obstetrician began.

Kate bit her lip. "I was shot in chest in the line of duty just over two years ago. There was some damage to the ventricles in my heart, but my cardiologist says I'm in great shape. Other than that, my great grandpa on my Mom's side died of lung cancer, but he smoked like a chimney and my dad's a recovered alcoholic," Kate answered.

"And you, Mr. Castle?"

"No health issues that I'm aware of," Castle replied.

"And what was the date of your last period?" Dr. Swinton asked.

Kate chewed her lip. "A week before the wedding," she replied, consulting her phone for the date. "But I was a little scatty taking my birth control on the honeymoon and I stopped taking it all together around the time we got back." Kate shrugged awkwardly. "We've only really just started trying and I had the day off work yesterday and thought it might be fun to pee on a stick and see. I didn't think I'd actually be pregnant. It was a fluke that I managed to get an appointment with you so quickly."

Dr. Swinton nodded. "No problem. Just for the sake of accuracy, we might skip the Doppler and go straight for a vaginal ultrasound," she suggested.

Kate looked over at Castle. She could tell he was more than a little bit excited and truth be told, she wanted more than anything to see the life that she was housing. "Can I pee first?" Kate asked.

* * *

"Are you nervous?" Castle asked.

Kate grabbed his hand, squeezing tightly. "This is happening really fast, Castle. We're going to see our baby in a minute," she sighed.

"It is fast," Castle agreed. "But it's exciting," he pointed out.

"So exciting," Kate agreed. "I love you," she mouthed to him, pressing a kiss against his knuckles.

"Okay, here we go," Dr. Swinton announced. "Mom and Dad, meet your baby."

Kate could have sworn her heart stopped for a second. There, in grainy black and white, was the image of their baby. "Oh wow," she sighed, not even fighting the tears that sprang to her eyes. "That's our baby."

Castle dropped a kiss to her forehead, a few of his own happy tears dripping on her forehead. "Thank you, Kate," he breathed. "Thank you so much. That is the most beautiful little peapod I've ever seen," he whispered, his cheek pressed close to hers.

"Judging from the size, I would say that you are ten weeks pregnant," Dr. Swinton announced.

Kate let out a giggle, "honeymoon baby," she murmured, nudging Castle's cheek with her nose. "It was the last week that I was really bad about birth control,"

Dr Swinton pointed out the little hands and feet, promising printed copies for both Mom and Dad.

"There is one thing you need to be aware of Kate. I understand your job is stressful, but you need to start taking a back seat. I'm not going to chain you to a desk at this point, but you need to not put yourself in situations that are going to cause undue stress. It is no good for you, or for the baby," Dr. Swinton said seriously, as she handed them their sonogram DVD.

Castle winced. He knew Kate wasn't going to take deskwork well.

Kate nodded seriously. "No problem. Initial investigation at the crime scene and interviewing suspects in a controlled environment. I can do that," she agreed.

"Great. Other than that, I would suggest that you make sure you get plenty of rest, eat a balanced diet and enjoy being pregnant," Dr Swinton said with a smile. She consulted her calendar. "Being ten weeks along, that puts your due date at the 28th of May. I'd like to see you again in about five weeks."

* * *

"It's finally real," Kate marvelled. She kept sneaking glances at the pictures from the ultrasound throughout lunch (where she reminded herself how grateful she was that she hadn't had a tremendous amount of morning sickness) and the whole subway ride home.

"A honeymoon baby," Castle repeated. "Seems like I took you out to Pauline's at the right time," he joked.

Kate shrugged. "I'd been thinking about it for a while, to be honest. The fact that I wasn't terrified out of my mind made me convinced that I was kidding myself and there was no way I'm enough of a grown up to be responsible for another human life," she replied. "I'm a little bit nervous, but I'm confident. I can do this. We can do this. We're going to be kickass parents, Castle."

Castle unlocked the loft and ushered Kate inside. "I know that Dr. Swinton's comments about your job were probably confronting," he started, desperately hoping he wouldn't piss Kate off too much.

"Castle, stop," Kate interjected. "I love my job. I really do. But it's my job, not my life. I know I do it well, but I will not put it before my health, or the health of my child," tears welled in Kate's eyes, "I know we've only just found out, but I love this little peapod way too much to let some dirtbag take it away from me," she whimpered. She didn't really know why she was crying, but she gratefully folded herself into Castle's arms. "And now I'm crying and I don't know why, and I can't stop," she huffed.

Castle knew better than to laugh. He carefully manoeuvred them towards the couch; where he tugged Kate down to sit in his lap. "I hope I'm not like this my entire pregnancy," Kate murmured. "I will never live it down if I burst into tears at a crime scene."

Castle absentmindedly twisted Kate's curls around his fingers. "I called your Dad, as well as my mother and Alexis."

"And?" Kate asked with a sniffle.

"Apparently, the only night they can all make it here is tonight," He informed Kate, ready to duck in case she twisted his ear. "So they said they'd all get here around six thirty."

Kate nodded, looking over at the clock. "I can do that," she agreed, barely stifling a yawn.

"But you need a nap first?" Castle asked.

Stubbornness flared in Kate's chest. She was so, _so _very tempted to insist that she was fine and stick it out regardless, but her thoughts fell to the peapod sized human growing inside her. Her body was giving her a message and she needed to listen. She nodded. "I need a nap first," she agreed. She clambered off Castle's lap and stood. "Will you lay with me?" she asked.

It was an unusual request, but one that Castle wouldn't deny. He stood up, and followed Kate to their bedroom. He smiled when he heard Kate's sigh of relief as she snapped her bra off and couldn't help his grin when she slipped into one of his threadbare old t-shirts.

"Just stay until I fall asleep," Kate requested, settling down against a pillow. She sighed happily when she felt the bed dip with his weight and his hand slip beneath his (their?) shirt to cup her belly.

"Do you think you're showing yet?" Castle asked her.

"I don't know," Kate sighed. "I think I'm just fat for now. But I'm going to keep wearing my skinny jeans as long as I can." She shuffled back into his arms. "I like being close to you," she mumbled, her voice sloppy with sleep. "I think I like being pregnant."

Castle continued to trace patterns on her belly, content to stay put until he was completely certain she was sound asleep.

* * *

Kate woke up from her nap with forty-five minutes to spare before dinner. "Castle, I'm so sorry!" She called out as she rushed out of the bedroom, tugging on her dress. "Zip me?" she requested.

"Kate, relax," Castle soothed her, zipping her dress and caressing her shoulders. "I have everything under control. The lamb is in the oven, and the table is set. Don't panic. I just didn't want to wake you because you were sleeping so soundly."

"Are you nervous?" Kate asked. "Because I'm a little nervous," she confessed.

"It's going to be fine, Kate. We're not sixteen year olds who forgot to use protection. We're two adults who are married and in a good place. Our family is going to be happy for us."

"But you're terrified my Dad is going to stab you with a butter knife?" She surmised.

"Just a little," Castle agreed. "So we'll tell them over dessert, when there are no knives on the table. I'll casually slip it into the conversation and they might not even notice."

"Sounds great."

* * *

At least there could be no questions about why there wasn't wine on the table. After the disastrous first dinner together, Martha and Jim had called a détente and actually got along like a house on fire. More often than not, they managed to team up and make their kids squirm.

Dinner had been a pleasant affair, Alexis recounting some of the more recent dorm room shenanigans she'd been privy to. Alexis and Jim were thick as thieves and it was obvious to anyone that Alexis was pleased as punch that she could make him laugh.

Once dessert was served, Kate latched onto Castle's hand. Talk had turned to the honeymoon and it was really time to share the news. She bit her lip, waiting for Castle to broach the subject.

"I know it might be a little early, but Kate and I have something we'd like to share with you," Castle announced, nudging Kate's knee with his.

She shot him a grin. "I'm pregnant. I'm ten weeks along."

The reaction was instant. Kate had barely had the change to stand when she found herself engulfed in a hug from her father. "Oh Katie," he sighed. "I'm so happy for you."

"I'm happy too, Dad," she answered honestly.

"I'm sorry your Mom isn't here to see this," he said quietly.

"Don't," Kate begged. "We're going to be okay. I wish she was here, but I can do this without her."

Her Dad squeezed her tightly and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Congratulations," he murmured warmly, stepping to shake Castle's hand.

Martha's reaction was suitably theatrical, featuring a few squeals, effusive kisses on the cheek and rubbing Kate's (still mostly flat) belly.

Alexis stepped up to Kate quietly. "Congratulations," she said quietly, before stepping over and hugging her father.

"Don't worry about her," Martha hummed. "She doesn't process things like a Rodgers. Or a Castle, for that matter. But she's not upset."

* * *

Kate was back in her pyjamas, removing her makeup. She was relieved that her father and Martha were happy with the news, but she was curious about Alexis's thoughts. She and Alexis got along quite well, but she was suddenly petrified that Castle's daughter might think that she was getting replaced. Kate was so lost in her thoughts that a knock at the door startled her.

"Dad convinced me to stay so that he could feed me a proper breakfast tomorrow," Alexis told her. "Could we talk?" She asked hesitantly, leaning against the doorframe.

Kate knew she had to be brave. "Sure. Do you want to come in, or…"

"No, no," Alexis answered hastily. "In here is fine."

From the way Alexis perched herself on the edge of the bed, it was obvious that she wasn't the only nervous one.

"For pretty much my whole life, if I've wanted something, I've gotten it," Alexis began. "And I don't mean to say I'm a spoilt brat or anything like that. My Dad has made me earn the things I have, but it's safe to say that if I set my heart on something, I usually make it happen," Alexis began, picking at her cuticles as she spoke.

"When I was eight years old, my best friend Paige told me her Mom was pregnant. And then her brother came. He didn't do much at first, but I realised that being a big sister is pretty cool. I immediately came home and begged Dad to get me a baby. I asked for weeks. Promised I wouldn't bug him when he was writing, that I would eat my peas without complaining," Alexis paused. "In hindsight, it seems so dumb. Gram eventually explained that my Dad on his own couldn't give me a brother or a sister. I was disappointed, but I accepted it. When Dad and Gina got married, I thought that was my chance. I was so ready to be a cool big sister… and then they split within two years." Alexis's brow unfurrowed and she reached out to grab Kate's hand. "I know this sounds totally lame, but I'm just going to say it. Thank you so much."

"Alexis, you don't have to thank me," Kate interjected.

"No, I do," she insisted. "I've wanted to be an older sister for more than ten years now. And now I am. You gave me that and I'm so grateful."

* * *

**I admit... I tend to use Alexis a lot. I don't think the writers really know what to do with her (she was the reason Meredith decided to come and stay in 5x10 and yet we barely saw her. what?) and as a result she's got some really inconsistent characterisation... I'm intending to use her a little bit more frequently in this fic and maybe shape her into what I think she should be... a mature but quirky young lady (because season 1 Alexis was badass)**

**Thoughts? Rants about last episode?**


	3. Chapter 3

**I totally forgot to tell you guys! The Toy Story reference in chapter 1? Castle's tea sipping alter ego, Mrs Nesbitt... Buzz Lightyear is Mrs. Nesbitt when he gets dragged into a tea party with Sid's little sister.**

**A fair warning to you all... I'm not planning on writing this pregnancy week by week. There are a lot of fics that have done that and I'm not particularly interested in going down that path. I'm far more interested in the emotional repercussions of pregnancy and thats the line I'll be taking on this one.**

**As usual, this wouldn't have made it to you without the marvellous editing work of Tadpole24 :) (she's posted some great stuff lately... go look!)**

**I own nothing. Nothing at all**

* * *

Kate groaned and stretched as she hit the snooze button on her alarm for the third time.

"Just call in sick," Castle murmured.

Kate turned her head to look at him, squinting as the sun hit her eyes. "I only have a few months left before I explode," Kate pointed out. "I want to keep as many of my vacation days as I can." She closed her eyes before mentally counting to three and forcing herself out of bed. Now that she was out of her first trimester, she'd noticed a return of her energy (a daily nap was no longer a prerequisite) and the irregular bouts of morning sickness she'd suffered had all but disappeared. She'd finally stopped breaking out, her hair was shiny (and growing faster and thicker than it ever had) and she was starting to think that just maybe she had the glow that apparently all pregnant women had.

She twisted the knob of the shower and stripped off the shirt. "Castle!" she called out.

A dishevelled Castle dashed into the bathroom, panic in his eyes as he skidded to a stop. "What's wrong?" He demanded.

"Nothing's wrong," Kate sighed, turning slightly as she gazed at her nude form in the mirror. "I'm showing."

Kate was well aware that her body had been changing. For weeks, her breasts had been achy to the touch and had grown at least a cup size (something Castle had _not_ been complaining about), her areolae darkening. She had felt bloated, her waist thickening to the point where she'd grumbled that she was pregnant, not fat. Overnight, it had happened. A rounded, hard little bump had popped out, physical evidence of the baby growing in Kate's womb. "I thought you would want to see," she added timidly.

Castle gazed at her, agape. He stepped into the bathroom and dropped on his knees in front of her. "You're beautiful," he sighed, reaching up to cup her belly in his hands.

Kate's hands covered his. "This is a really great thing," she murmured, her voice slightly wet with tears. She tugged on his hands and pulled him to his feet, raising on her tiptoes to meet his mouth with a kiss. "C'mon," she whispered, tugging him into the shower.

* * *

Castle had insisted on slathering every inch of Kate's body with richly scented cocoa butter after their shower, determined that he would get her through the pregnancy without a stretch mark. Kate had rolled her eyes but indulged him, her eye on the clock as she stressed about being late to the precinct.

"We're going to have to start telling people," Kate decided as she expertly reverse parked her Charger next to the precinct. "I don't think people are going to believe that I've just gained a few pounds for much longer and the boys should know why I'm not pulling my weight out in the field."

"Don't say it like that, Beckett. You're not being lazy," Castle countered.

"I know I'm not being lazy," Kate replied. "But incubating a human and chasing down suspects don't really go hand in hand."

Kate stripped off her coat, hanging it neatly on the back of her chair. She looked over. Gates was in her office and she wasn't pacing. Kate wanted to get in and strike while the iron was hot. Her stream of thought was broken by Castle's phone beginning to buzz.

"I gotta take this," He said urgently, holding up his phone to show that Gina was calling.

Kate squared her shoulders. She hadn't done anything to be ashamed of. She stood up and strode confidently to Gates' door, tapping lightly on the frame. "Could I have a minute of your time?"

Kate settled herself into the chair opposite Gates desk. She had a feeling that this would be a long conversation and she wasn't going to be uncomfortable for it.

"What can I do for you, Detective?" Gates asked, peering curiously over the frame of her glasses.

Kate took a deep breath, desperately trying to settle her nerves. "I have some news I'd like to share and I felt it would be appropriate to share it with you first," Kate desperately tried to quell the sensation to run, suddenly feeling like she'd been sent to the principal's office for misbehaviour. "I'm pregnant," she finally blurted out.

"Detective Beckett, do I look like an idiot to you?" Gates asked her, leaning forward and rummaging through her bottom desk drawer.

"Sir?"

"You know I was Detective once too, if you remember. You haven't touched a drop of coffee in a month, your shirts have suddenly gotten much looser and I've never seen anybody run to the bathroom as often as you have been," Gates responded. "Come here," Gates invited.

Kate couldn't help the frown that crossed her face, but she stood up and stepped behind Gates' desk as she'd been invited.

Gates picked up a family photo in a wooden frame. "That there, is my husband, Chris," she told Kate, pointing to a wiry middle-aged man, his red hair slowly beginning to fade to white.

"Is he with the 45th Precinct? I swear I've seen him around," Kate commented.

Gates nodded. "He is. He's a uniform over there. I had just made Detective in Major Crimes and had received my transfer to the 45th. I met him and he knocked me off my feet," Gates gave Kate a significant look. "It was the eighties. A woman in a position of authority was controversial at best," Gate gave her a significant look. "Given that I'm a woman of colour in an interracial marriage with a subordinate, my professional life was damn near unbearable."

Gates cleared her throat and paused. She pointed to the only other woman in the photograph. "That's my eldest, Sasha. She's thirty in June. I had the most horrific pregnancy with her. I have never felt that miserable in my entire life. I was already the Precinct punching bag and it only got worse after I started showing." Gates brushed her hand across the glass of the photograph. "I was certain my partner was dirty, but I had no way to prove it. I watched the guy like a hawk. Went on every call he went on. Ended up chasing down a suspect and it led to a gun fight." Gates' voice sounded suspiciously tight; almost like she was fighting tears. "I went into labour at twenty eight weeks. Sasha's lungs were critically underdeveloped. Her lung collapsed twice and she needed surgery on her heart. We damn near lost her more times than I care to detail. My baby had to fight for life in a NICU for eight weeks after she was born, because I insisted on pushing my limits," Gates placed the photograph neatly back on its place of honour on her desk. "You remind me a lot of myself sometimes, Kate. Which isn't always a good thing," Kate pointedly looked away, giving Gates the opportunity to wipe the lone tear that tracked down her cheek. "Don't make my mistakes."

Kate drew a deep breath, fighting the tears that seemed to be her regular companion over the past few weeks. "What happened after you went back to work?"

"I requested a transfer to Internal Affairs where I took great pleasure in crucifying my former partner for accepting mob payments to tamper with evidence."

Gates squared her shoulders, every inch the police captain. "Welcome to the club, detective. I take it you'll be mentioning it to your team?"

Kate nodded. "I'm sure I can find a way to work it into the conversation."

Gates straightened her glasses, picking up a pen. Kate took the hint and strode towards the door.

"Detective," Gates called out.

Kate turned to face her boss.

"Be sure to pass on my congratulations to Mr. Castle."

* * *

Kate sat down at her desk, forcing herself to at least try and concentrate on the paperwork in front of her. It was useless. She could barely concentrate; continually taking (what she hoped were) surreptitious looks over at Castle, who was looking pained as he conversed tensely with Gina.

"Remind me to get my hearing checked," He grumbled as he plonked back into his chair next to Kate's desk.

Kate chuckled. She was almost certain that Castle had done his best to needle Gina and as far as she was concerned, he deserved whatever he got from taunting a tiger. "I told Gates," Kate murmured.

"How did that go?" Castle asked, all joking dropping from his tone.

"Relax, Castle," she soothed him. "She already suspected. And she seems okay with it. Told me to pass on my congratulations."

"Really?" Castle gaped. "That's great," he grinned.

"I think she knows a thing or two about being a pregnant woman in a male dominated field. I don't think she's interested in making my life more difficult than it already is." Kate pursed her lips and choked down the last of the pregnancy tea (full of vitamins and other things Kate insisted tasted like dirt) that Castle had found her to replace her usual latte.

"Does that mean we need to tell the guys now?"

Kate shrugged. "I guess. But really, they're detectives. Shouldn't they have detected this by now?"

Castle raised an eyebrow. "Katherine Castle, you are a cruel woman."

"I'll give them til the end of the week. Relax, Castle," she replied sassily.

"Beckett! We've got a body!" Hastings called out across the bullpen.

* * *

They were just approaching the crime scene when Kate gasped. "Oh my god. What is that smell?" She hissed.

"Smells like a crime scene to me," Castle replied.

"You've got to be kidding me. Crime scenes do not smell this bad," they crossed under the police tape, Kate biting her lip until it went white to stop her gag reflex from kicking into gear.

"Hey Lanie, what have we got?" Kate asked, snapping on a pair of gloves. "This one has to have been lying around for weeks, right?"

Lanie looked up at Kate from where she was testing liver temperature, "Are you kidding? Rigor mortis hasn't even set in yet."

"What?" Kate squeaked, unable to censor her reaction. She looked at Castle helplessly. He shrugged. He'd never seen her react this way, even at the grisliest of crime scenes. He looked pointedly at her midsection.

"We found the vic half hanging out of that dumpster over there," Lanie continued professionally.

Kate discreetly tried to position her hand over her mouth and nose as she continued with her preliminary questioning. "We got a name?"

"Vic was found with a handbag. CSU are cataloguing it now and are going to do a visual ID based on any documents they find in there. Primary guess for cause of death," Lanie paused, looking up at Kate. "Girl, are you feeling okay? You're so white I can practically see through you."

"I'm fine," Kate answered stiffly. "Just haven't had one quite like this in a while."

"You sure? Looks like your average pop and drop to me," Lanie mused, leaning over to measure the size of the gunshot wounds the victim had sustained. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were pregnant."

Kate froze, looking urgently at Castle. He shrugged.

"Okay, so of course the entire contents of the handbag fell out in the dumpster," Ryan grumbled as he came over with a handful of goodies soaked in dumpster juice.

She couldn't fight it any longer. Kate turned tail and bolted away from the crime scene. She managed to duck under the police tape and race around a corner before the smells were too much and her breakfast came up.

Castle chased after her, barely managing to collect her messy curls in time.

Kate rested back on her haunches, fighting desperately to collect herself and not burst into tears the way her hormones were suggesting. "I thought this was supposed to end," she whimpered. "I'm supposed to be in the good trimester."

"I hid saltines and a water bottle in your glove compartment," Castle told her. "Go eat something and I'll stall everybody. But I think the cat is out of the bag."

* * *

Seated in an outdoor booth at Remy's, Kate linked her fingers tightly with Castle's as her co-workers looked at her expectantly. She shouldn't have been surprised that they were staring her down. She'd been known to work through the flu and once a rather nasty case of food poisoning. She'd never lost it like that at a crime scene.

"Beckett, do you have the plague?" Esposito asked, instantly breaking the tension.

Kate nearly snorted the orange juice she'd just taken a sip of. "Are you kidding me?" she asked.

"Are you an idiot, Javi?" Lanie snarked. The are-they-or-aren't-they tension between the pair of them was insane. Kate privately thought they should lock themselves in a closet until they figured out their issues, but given the four-year lead up to her relationship, she was in no position to judge.

"She's pregnant, you moron!" Ryan announced as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Kate smiled. She thought Ryan would be the one to cotton on. Jenny was seven months along.

"Have been for fourteen weeks. And you guys call yourselves detectives," she confirmed with a teasing grin.

"So the loose shirts?" Lanie asked.

Kate shrugged. "Not really doing much to hide it anymore," she answered, standing up and pulling her shirt taut, revealing her bump. "Hence the crankiness, the puking at the crime scene, the one time you caught me napping at my desk," Kate gave Espo an exaggeratedly pointed look. "The fact that coffee has betrayed me...all caused by the human I'm growing."

Esposito stood up. He'd always been her unofficial big brother; the guy that had her back when she copped shit the entire way through the academy, the one that pushed her to be better than she was. He extended a hand to Castle. "Congratulations, bro."

The dam had broken. Lanie squealed and crash tackled Kate, Ryan enthusiastically shaking Castle's hand.

It was good that it was out in the open. Castle slid his arm around Kate's shoulder, pressing a kiss against her temple. Kate grinned at him. Their little peapod was already so loved by their makeshift little family, without ever having met them.

* * *

**Can we have some more Gates in the next episode? I miss her. **

**Thoughts? Will exchange reviews for chocolate!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you, first of all, to the lovely Tadpole24 for reading over this, despite being so tired that she spent the day crying and to my crazy FB girls, who do important things like discuss Kate's cup size with me at length (never say I'm not one for authenticity)**

**This chapter does discuss the plot of the film _The Cabin In The Woods_ so if you haven't seen it, be prepared (and if you haven't seen it, get it on DVD because it is Joss Whedon awesomeness). Some discussion of genetic testing of parents and babies in this chapter (I don't know if that _needs_ a warning, but it can't hurt). Tiny bit of my beloved _Pride and Prejudice _as well.**

* * *

Kate was propped up comfortably in bed, one hand tracing circles over her bare belly, the other clutching a slightly ragged copy of _Pride and Prejudice_. She was completely drawn into the world of Lizzie and Darcy, reading aloud in the quiet of the room.

"Why didn't anyone tell me it was story time?" Castle asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Mommy and baby time Castle. Gotta get the kid started on the good stuff early in life," Kate sassed.

"Austen?" he asked doubtfully, lying down next to her, propping himself up on a cushion.

"Yeah," Kate replied softly. "It was my Mom's favourite book. Everything online says that the munchkin can hear us now, so I figured I should start giving this one a little piece of her." She gave Castle a tender smile. "I hate that she's not here for this, but there is no way this little minion is growing up not knowing about Granny in heaven."

"She would have been really excited, right?" Castle asked.

Kate looked over to the pile of baby gifts they'd already received. Her father had taken her to breakfast a week after they'd made the big announcement, handing her a giftbag with a Yankees onesie in it as he tried not to cry. Kate couldn't wait to dress the baby up in it. "Absolutely," Kate agreed. "Mom was a champion knitter. She'd already have a few pairs of booties ready. And she would have given me the best advice," Kate reminisced.

She put the book down and took Castle's hands. "Castle, this is important," she warned him. "If anything at all, ever comes up about my Mom's case," she squeezed his hands, "And I mean anything at all, you need to make sure I stay away from it. I don't care how. But do not let me touch a thing. I cannot be a mother and have that looming over my head," Kate bit her lip, willing her voice to remain steady. "I won't put my child through what I went through."

Castle nodded seriously, brushing a ghost of a kiss against her knuckles. "Always."

Sitting up, Castle cleared his throat. "Kate, we gotta talk about something," he started. "I have no idea who my father is. No idea if he's got a predisposition to heart attacks, or if his sisters all had breast cancer. I have no idea. And that terrifies me."

Kate knew where he was going. "Listen to me, Castle. We're both in great shape. I'm not 35 yet, so the risk of Down's Syndrome is still small. And I don't care," she placed her hands on her bare belly. "I love this baby. I will love it no matter what. More importantly, I love the Minion way too much to put it at risk of a miscarriage," she brushed a hand against his stubbly cheek. "One in two hundred women miscarry after an amnio, Castle. That is one baby in every two hundred that dies. I'm not going to take that risk."

"But Kate, what if…" Castle argued.

Kate cut him off. "Don't borrow trouble. What if the baby is totally fine and we jabbed needles into my uterus for no reason? Will we love the baby any less if something goes wrong?" she leaned forward and kissed him. "Just relax. The baby and I are fine. If you're really worried, we can talk to Dr. Swinton about drawing blood for a quad screening."

"But you hate needles," Castle pointed out.

Kate ran her hand through his hair. "I know," she agreed. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll do it. I'll book an appointment for as soon as I can," she told him tenderly.

"Are we going to find out the gender?" Castle asked.

Kate pondered the question, her nails gently scraping against his forearm as she tugged him back to lying next to her. "I've been thinking about it and I don't think I have an opinion. I'm only nineteen weeks. We have time to change our minds."

Castle nodded his agreement. He leaned over Kate, picking up the careworn novel. "Lie down," he told her.

Kate acquiesced, propping a pillow between her legs as she curled onto her left side, pointing out where she was up to.

Castle shifted so he was lying on his stomach, facing Kate's abdomen, cleared his throat and began to read. "_Elizabeth saw what he was doing, and at the first convenient pause, turned to him with an arch smile, and said, "You mean to frighten me, Mr. Darcy, by coming in all this state to hear me? But I will not be alarmed though your sister does play so well."_

As Castle's rich cadence filled the room, Kate's hand flew to her stomach.

""_There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me." _You know, you remind me of Elizabeth," Castle commented.

"Castle, don't stop reading!" Kate ordered. "I think the baby is moving." She grabbed his hand, pressing it against her skin. As he continued to read the witty banter of Lizzie and Darcy, Kate felt it again. Tiny flutterings like the wings of a butterfly, flickering around her tummy and spreading warmth through her veins.

"It's still too early for me to be able to feel," Castle pointed out gently, rubbing his stubbly cheek against the swell of her tummy. Kate could read between the lines of the possessive way Castle was touching her.

"Meredith didn't let you touch her, did she?" Kate asked.

Castle shrugged, "Rarely," he admitted. "She was heavily pregnant through the summer and was uncomfortable. She didn't let anybody near her, especially me, because I was the one who did this to her with "my stupid man penis."" Castle added quotation marks for effect.

"I really dislike that woman," Kate muttered. "Don't you ever think you can't touch me," Kate growled fiercely. She forced herself into a sitting position, before slinging a leg over his lap. "In fact, if you don't start touching me very soon, there's going to be a problem," she purred against his lips.

* * *

There was no other option. She'd pinned, added belts, layered with camisoles and in a moment of true desperation, used a paperclip to keep her pants up. Kate needed to go shopping.

"This is really unfair, bringing me along. You get to have all the fun and there is nothing to distract me," Lanie whined.

Kate raised an eyebrow. "You are not going to be favourite aunt if you keep complaining. The Monster can hear you."

Lanie raised an eyebrow, "Monster?"

Kate scowled. "I was up for most of last night with aggressive heartburn and I get to push the kid out of a very tiny hole in my body. I'm allowed to say Monster."

"You don't make pregnancy sound very fun," Lanie commented as they walked into the maternity boutique that had been recommended to them by Jenny.

"Well, you get a pretty cute human at the end of it, so that's fun," Kate commented as she made a beeline towards button down shirts. "And the horny hormones are nothing to complain about," Kate caught sight of herself in a mirror. "I never understood why men are so distracted by breasts," she stripped off her scarf, "But now I've got some and I totally get it because they're awesome."

Lanie looked over at Kate. "Your boobs have gotten huge," she agreed. "We're going lingerie shopping after we finish here."

"Please," Kate nodded vigorously, flipping through a rack, picking up several shirts.

* * *

Lanie was having a great time flipping through the racks at her favourite lingerie store (decidedly not telling Kate who would be seeing said lingerie) as Kate was being measured up for a new bra.

"What do you mean I've jumped to a double D?" Kate asked the shop assistant incredulously.

"Honey, relax," the shop assistant drawled.

"That is three cup sizes!"

"Sweetheart, I was a double A before I had kids. Now look at me," The shop assistant gestured to her rather impressive rack. "Trust me, this is normal and I am sure the man that put that rock on your finger is not complaining. Now, do you need a nursing bra?" She asked matter-of-factly.

Kate paused. She'd read a tiny bit about breastfeeding, but hadn't come to a definitive conclusion. "Umm, I suppose it couldn't hurt."

* * *

Kate got home to see both doors to Castle's study shut, a sure sign that he was writing and didn't want to be distracted. She made quick work of putting away her new clothes before changing into a stretchy pair of yoga pants and an old hoodie of Castle's. She twisted her hair into a ponytail as she headed for the kitchen, determined to get dinner underway before Castle emerged from his man cave in a writing haze.

Kate deseeded and chopped the pumpkin into chunks, the repetitive action giving her plenty of thinking time. She'd been thinking on and off about the topic and she figured she should make a decision about it sooner rather than later.

Popping the pumpkin into the oven, Kate wandered into the living room where the pile of parenting and pregnancy books lay. She gathered a stack of the books, dumping them unceremoniously on the dining room table. Sitting down with a notebook and her favourite purple pen, Kate flipped open the index and began to read.

* * *

Kate was flittering around the kitchen, tending to bread rolls warming in the oven and meticulously blending pumpkin soup when Castle finally made his way out of his man cave, his hair in disarray. "Smells good," he complimented her, grabbing her hips to stop her so he could graze a kiss across her jaw, his hand caressing the swell of her belly. "I'll set the table," he told her.

Carefully balancing soup spoons, bread plates and a pat of butter, Castle made his way out to the dining room table. Placing them down, he stepped over to the books that Kate had left open and spread out across every available space. She was researching as meticulously as she would when running financials for a case, highlighting passages of text and making notes in her tidy hand.

"I was going to have everything ready before you came out," Kate told him, standing in the doorframe, holding two bowls of soup. She put them down on the table, moving to tidy up the stacks of books. "I was going to talk to you about this," she insisted.

Castle put his hands on Kate's shoulders, sensing her anxiety. "Relax, Kate," he soothed her, brushing his lips against her forehead. "I'll grab drinks."

Kate could barely concentrate. She had no idea how Castle would react. "I want to breastfeed," she blurted out.

"Is this what has you so worked up?" Castle asked.

"Castle!" Kate growled.

He chuckled. "Sorry, Sweetheart. I'm just not used to you acting like a girl."

Kate shot him a filthy look. Castle cleared his throat and continued. "Kate, I assumed that you would breastfeed," he said, totally blasé as he buttered his bread.

"But all of those photos of you feeding Alexis…" Kate trailed off.

"Come on, Kate. I had a baby with a woman who didn't even fight for custody when we split up. Do you really think Meredith was interested in feeding a baby at 3am? Especially when it might ruin her girlish figure? After her c-section slash nip and tuck she could barely move. By the time she was ready to be up and about, Alexis and I were in a routine and she didn't really fit into it. Those photos you've seen were taken by my Mother." He reached over to grab her hand. "Kate, I trust you to do whatever is right for you and the baby. I hoped that you would want to breastfeed, because it's so good for the both of you, but I'm with you either way."

"So you don't mind sharing my boobs?"

"I'll get over it."

* * *

Kate was more anxious than she cared to admit. She clung to Castle's hand as they walked through the door to the Doctor's surgery. They'd finally been able to get an appointment for Kate's quad test and to ease Castle's mind, she'd agreed to the pair of them getting a full genetic work up just to make sure they didn't have any recessive genes that wouldn't play nicely together.

"Remember Castle, I don't care. We made this baby together. All we are doing is informing ourselves. It changes nothing," Kate reminded him seriously. She planted a kiss on his cheek.

Pure resolve stopped Kate from hyperventilating when her blood was drawn and she stoically stared at the wall as the blood pressure bandage was looped around Castle's arm. She tangled her fingers with his free hand, refusing to look at him until he promised her that she had the all clear.

"Now we wait," Castle muttered.

The waiting room was torture. In his typical dramatic fashion, Castle had spared no expense to ensure that they would have their test results as soon as possible. Kate steadfastly refused to acknowledge Castle's rapidly tapping foot, instead pulling out one of the many pregnancy books Jenny had loaned her (Jenny insisted that she only had a few weeks to go and that the books should go to somebody who would use them).

Castle immediately tensed when their names were called. Kate grabbed his wrist before he could bolt into the room. "Remember why we did this," she murmured to him, planting a soft kiss on his lips. Linking their fingers together, she guided them towards Dr. Swinton's room.

"How are you both?" Dr. Swinton asked.

"Incredibly concerned at how cavalier you're being," Castle growled softly as he sat down.

"We're fine. I'm enjoying trimester two," Kate replied. "But I wouldn't complain if you put us out of our misery."

"According to the tests we ran," Dr. Swinton began. Castle noticeably tensed, Kate's fingers softly stroking the top of his hand to calm him, "There is nothing at all to worry about. No genes that are going to play havoc together, no Down's Syndrome, no Spina Bifida and no other genetic abnormalities. Congratulations, your baby is healthy."

Kate smiled when she heard Castle's sigh of relief.

* * *

Kate settled into Castle's side, ready for movie night. He'd cooked for her, an apology for his paranoia that she'd insisted wasn't necessary, so she'd conceded her turn choosing a movie. She'd rolled her eyes when she'd seen his choice of _The Cabin in The Woods,_not in the mood for torture porn.

"But it's not a dumb horror movie, Kate. It's so much more than that," Castle had insisted, his puppy dog eyes used to full effect. Kate sighed and conceded.

She was surprised at how intelligent the film was. Yes, it satirised some of the more traditional elements of a horror movie and you could see the moments coming a million miles away, but the ending had been truly surprising (it didn't hurt that one of her lady crushes, Sigourney Weaver had shown up to deliver the crushing blow).

Kate's overwhelming desire to pee had overtaken her desire to lay in Castle's arms after they'd made love and she'd made a beeline for the bathroom. Castle lay in bed, satiated and sleepy when Kate bolted into the room.

"Castle, I'm bleeding."

* * *

**So ummm.. *cough* I'm just going to go... hide from those big pitchforks. Keep in mind any flames will feed my pet Balrog.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I cannot quite believe that I'm at over 100 reviews for this beast. Thank you so much guys! It means the world to me!**

**This one was beta free, so all mistakes are mine.**

**(And to the guest reviewer who heard that The Cabin In The Woods sucked... you couldn't be more wrong. One of the most intelligent, subversive films I've ever seen)**

**JSYK, there was a sentence changed in the last paragraph of chapter 4. You might want to check that out so this flows better.**

* * *

Kate was curled in the foetal position on her left side, a heart rate monitor strapped to her belly. She was chewing her lower lip to ribbons, barely acknowledging the steady beep, beep, beep of the machine. "I don't understand, Castle," she sighed hoarsely. "We were fine. I could feel the baby moving the entire movie." She reached out and clung to his hand. "It doesn't hurt," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I thought miscarrying would hurt," she whimpered, finally giving into the tears that had been threatening to fall since she'd screamed from the bathroom.

He was supposed to be the guy with the words. The guy who knew what to say all the time. In that second, it didn't matter that he was Richard Castle, New York Times Best Selling Author. Right now, he was just a guy with a pregnant wife in hospital who was scared out of her mind and he didn't know how the hell he could make it better. All he could do was stroke her hair, making gentle soothing noises of nonsense, as he pressed gentle kisses to her forehead.

Their bubble was shattered when somebody cleared their throat. Dr Swinton was standing in the doorway, hair neatly piled on her head. "What seems to be the problem?" She asked.

Kate lifted her head slightly, scrubbing a hand over her face as she locked eyes with the doctor. "I was getting ready to have a shower this evening and I realised I was bleeding," she rasped.

Dr Swinton nodded, pulling on a pair of gloves. "Any pain?"

Kate shook her head.

"How heavy is the bleeding?"

Kate shrugged. "Like the first day of my period, I suppose."

Dr Swinton looked at the foetal monitor and nodded.

"When was the last time you had sex?"

Castle cleared his throat awkwardly. Kate shot him a glare. "Maybe two hours ago," she replied.

Dr Swinton's body language changed immediately. "Bleeding after sex is totally normal, Kate."

"Why have I never heard this before?" Kate demanded, rolling to sit up. "And it's never happened to me."

"There's a lot more blood going to your cervix during pregnancy and sometimes that causes bleeding when there's been action there, like during sex or a pap smear. There's no hard and fast rule about when it does and when it doesn't happen. I will do an ultrasound to be sure, though."

Dr Swinton stepped into the corridor, asking an intern to bring the equipment to the room. She stepped back in and silently began taking Kate's blood pressure.

The intern pushed the trolley full of equipment into the room and let out a tiny squeak when she spotted Castle. Dr Swinton shot her a filthy look and the intern scampered out.

"Alright," she addressed them both. "Let's check this out."

Kate jumped when the cold gel hit her belly. She clung tightly to Castle's hand; still petrified that Dr Swinton would find something terribly wrong.

"And here we are," Dr Swinton announced as she pointed at the image on screen. "And it looks like you are most definitely having a girl." There was no way for it to be clearer. The Minion was halfway through a tumble turn, flashing her entire lower half to the transducer.

"Proves without a doubt she's your daughter," Kate chuckled, tears of joy flooding her eyes as she looked up at Castle.

"Ooh," the doctor hummed.

"What?" Kate demanded, fear gripping her by the throat once again.

Dr. Swinton pointed to the screen. "See that? That's your placenta."

"What's wrong with it?" Castle asked.

"It implanted a little lower than it should have," Dr Swinton mused, clicking a few buttons and moving the wand. She pointed again. "See there, that's the opening of the cervix. Your placenta is sitting right on the edge. You have marginal placenta previa, Kate," Dr Swinton diagnosed seriously.

"I don't understand," Kate gasped.

"I don't want you to panic," Dr Swinton cautioned. "Your case is relatively mild. The bleeding happened as your uterus stretched and there was pressure on a blood vessel. In ninety percent of cases, this will resolve itself as the baby grows."

"How does it resolve itself?" Castle demanded.

"Think of the uterus like a balloon," Dr Swinton turned from the ultrasound monitor, pulling the wand away from Kate's belly to face the terrified couple. "If you put a mark right near the neck of the balloon and then blow it up, the balloon will eventually stretch away from the opening as you blow it up, right?"

Castle nodded.

"But what happens if it doesn't resolve itself?" Kate asked frantically.

"You have a c-section," Dr Swinton answered simply. "Listen to me Kate. Your baby is healthy. We caught this early, so we're aware of what is going on. You are both going to be fine." Dr Swinton reached out and squeezed Kate's hand. "That being said though, you're on bed rest for the next two weeks when we have an appointment. I don't want you walking further than from your bed to your living room and you are not to be on your feet for more than an hour."

* * *

She'd called Gates at eight am, explaining that she wouldn't be at work for at least two weeks. She hadn't gotten to the end of her explanation before Gates cut her off and all but forbade her from entering the precinct until she got a doctor's okay. Kate was warmed by her Captain's protectiveness, but felt herself slinking into melancholy as the morning wore on. Dr Google was not making her feel any better and Castle's eagerness to take care of her (no matter how sweet) was beginning to grate on her already fried nerves.

After the third time he offered to make her Eggs Benedict, Kate could bear it no longer. "Castle!" she snapped. "I love you," she began, desperate not to totally crush her new husband "but I need you to leave me alone for a little while," she told him from behind gritted teeth. Shit. So much for not crushing his spirits. She grabbed him by the wrist, tugging him down on the bed. "Not like that," she murmured, brushing a hand across his face. "Last night was just really scary," she admitted to him.

Castle hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, quietly relieved when she relaxed against him, her fingers resting against the small of his back. "I have never been so scared in my entire life," he whispered, breathing in her cherry scent. "I'm so glad you're both okay. We're having a little girl and she is going to be perfect. Focus on that." He pressed a kiss against her forehead. "I'll give you some space."

Kate watched his figure retreat from the room, flopping back on the pillow with a sigh. He really was more than she deserved sometimes.

Intellectually, she knew that the baby had an excellent shot of being totally fine and having a routine delivery. She did know that. She was also well aware that she was wallowing and that she was pushing Castle away in a way he didn't deserve at all.

The lack of control of the situation was what aggravated her the most. She could avoid smokers, eat her steak so well cooked it was charcoal and take her prenatal vitamins. She had stopped taking risks on the job. Kate had made changes to her lifestyle to accommodate her pregnancy. How was it fair that the one complication in her pregnancy was one of the few that she could do nothing to change?

Kate sighed and pulled up her shirt, resting her hands on her stomach. "Hey baby girl," she began, feeling slightly ridiculous. Reading aloud was one thing, but holding an entire conversation with a foetus seemed quite different. "It's your Mom," Kate breathed. "I know this is asking a lot, little one, but if you could work with me here to grow out of this mess, I'd be really grateful."

There was nothing more to be said. Kate curled up on her side, tracing her ever-growing nails (it felt like she was filing her nails back every second day) on her stomach, totally relieved to be feeling the faint wavering of her daughter moving around.

Kate was still terrified and she'd let that fear overwhelm her, uncaring that it was probably eating Castle up inside. She'd married one of the few truly good men left in the world and she was such a failure as a wife.

Kate rolled out of bed, determined to go find Castle and talk to him. In her typical Beckett way, Kate had completely shut down in a crisis and internalised her thoughts and fears. Walking slowly out to the kitchen, Kate saw the note on the bench. Castle had gone to the New York Library to write, reminding her in the note to not even attempt lifting anything heavier than a water bottle and that if she attempted to cook dinner, there would be grounds for divorce.

Kate sighed. The loft was incredibly quiet. So quiet she actually couldn't concentrate on her novel. She sighed in frustration. Bed rest sucked. She couldn't even bring herself to be excited about being able to shop for little girl shoes because she wasn't able to go into the store and look for them herself. Kate contented herself with half-heartedly googling pre natal classes on Castle's iPad.

She almost jumped out of her skin when the door swung open. "Alexis!" Kate gasped. "What's wrong?"

Alexis hiccupped, her whole face a strange shade of purple. Her lower lip wobbled and she burst into tears.

"Oh sweetheart," Kate murmured, patting the cushion next to her. Kate was surprised when Alexis sat down next to her, sobbing uncontrollably. She wrapped an arm around her shoulder, figuring it was best to let her get her sobbing out before she tried to make sense of what was wrong.

"Max," Alexis finally stuttered.

"Is he okay?" Kate asked.

"Who knows?" Alexis muttered miserably. "He told me that he thinks we should see other people. I found out that by other people he means he's been kissing guys behind my back the entire time," Alexis informed her, breaking into a fresh wave of tears.

"Oh, honey," Kate said earnestly. She gently rubbed her back, desperately wondering what the hell she could say to make this better.

"Did I turn him gay?" Alexis squeaked.

"Oh, Alexis, no," Kate told her, squeezing her shoulder affectionately. "Not at all. It would have been good of him to be upfront with you, but it sounds like he's going through a tough part of his life."

"I'm sure it is tough, but did he really have to make me the laughing stock of the campus?"

It sounded like the politics of dorm life hadn't changed much since Kate had been an undergrad. "Girls are being bitches?" Kate asked.

Alexis shrugged. "Pretty much."

"It'll blow over," Kate assured her.

"It will, it just sucks until then," Alexis sighed. She gasped and sat up. "I totally didn't mean to come here and unload on you!"

Kate was taken aback. "Its fine," she told her stepdaughter warily.

"I'll be back in a second," Alexis told her, running up the stairs of the loft to her old room. Kate listened to the thudding of Alexis's feet as she bolted back down.

"Dad told me I'm getting a little sister," Alexis said excitedly, her tears forgotten.

"That is correct," Kate agreed, still eternally grateful that Alexis was excited about being a big sister and not freaking out that she was getting replaced.

Alexis held out the hand that was behind her back to reveal a stuffed Minnie Mouse doll. "Right after Dad explained to me that it was going to be just him and I, he took me to Disneyland. I was four years old and I didn't really understand what was going on. I did know I was confused out of my mind. But that day at Disneyland I did become sure of one thing. My dad was always going to make sure I knew that I was special. I don't really remember much of the day, but I remember going to Minnie's house and him getting me this. And I just knew everything would be okay," Alexis paused, giving Kate a shy little smile. "I would really like for my little sister to have it. She should know what an awesome daddy she has."

Kate accepted the stuffed toy from Alexis. "For the record? Her big sister is pretty great, too."

Alexis bit her lip, seemingly unaware that she'd picked up a Beckett-y mannerism. "Thank you, Kate. That means a lot."

Kate looked down at the doll, then back up at Alexis. "You want to watch a sappy movie?"

"Dad told me that you're not supposed to be moving. I'll get the popcorn."

* * *

Castle had come home to his two and a half girls curled up on the couch, both bawling as they watched _Phantom of the Opera._ He'd simply rolled his eyes before he made his famous pasta cabonara, sending Alexis on her way back to her dorm after a huge hug and with several leftover serves of spaghetti to stash in her refrigerator.

He was just finishing cleaning the kitchen when he felt Kate's arms slip around his waist.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, burying her face into his neck. She was delighted that her crazy pregnancy nose seemed to be receding, finally able to appreciate the smell of her husband again.

"What are you apologising for?" He asked her, one hand toying with the long braid down her back.

"I was scared, so I pushed you away. I didn't even think about how you might be feeling."

"I was terrified," Castle admitted. "I was so relieved when I found out you were both okay."

"Castle, what if we're not?"

Castle tipped Kate's chin up to look at him. "Listen to me, Superwoman," he said seriously. "I know you want me to have the chance to experience a dream pregnancy with the woman I love," he pressed a kiss on the tip of her nose. "But this is not a big thing. I don't care how our girl gets here, just that she gets here in one piece. You're having my baby, Kate. Don't ever think I'll resent you for anything you want during this pregnancy."

Kate looked at him, pondering. "Am I allowed to want you to give me a cocoa butter massage?"

* * *

**C'mon guys... who really thought I was going to go down the miscarriage path? Do you know me at all?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Firstly, I am SO sorry if you didn't get a personalised thank you for your review (I accidentally checked my emails without opening up my replies and I couldn't remember who I'd replied to and who I hadn't), but please know I read and treasured them all. As a thank you, this chapter is about 1000 words longer than usual.**

**Many thanks to Em for the beta work and also to Laura, who supported me as I griped that I had everybody hopelessly OOC, and Annie for being my sounding board as I struggled through writer's block. Thank you darlings!**

* * *

Kate walked into the loft and immediately flopped onto the couch. "I hate this," she growled. She was twenty-nine weeks pregnant and the baby's placenta hadn't shifted. "I did my research. Most women aren't even on bed rest with cases as mild as mine."

"But how many of those women work in dangerous, high stress professions that would push their already borderline high blood pressure over acceptable limits?" Castle retorted, already prepared for Kate's displeasure over the news.

"I'm just so bored, Castle. I'm going to be on maternity leave for six months and I can already feel my brain turning to goo. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Castle came and sat on the couch next to her. "You heard Dr Swinton. Start figuring out your birth plan," he suggested.

Kate rolled her eyes. "There's no point, Castle. I know how I'm going to give birth. I'm going to be knocked out and gutted like a pig. The fact that I wanted to go drug free and delay any testing on the baby until after her first time breastfeeding doesn't really seem that relevant now."

"Kate, stop being such a defeatist."

"I'm being a realist!" Kate snapped. She forced herself to bite her tongue. Castle had been so good to her during the last few weeks when she'd been forced to stay in bed and she wasn't going to thank him by tearing his head off. She took a deep breath and ran a hand over her stomach; unable to fight the smile that crept across her face as felt a little kick that seemed to be saying, "Chill out, Mom." Wordlessly, she grabbed Castle's hand and pressed it against the location of the kicks. The wonder that crossed his face when he felt a little foot stretching and pressing against his palm never got old. Kate smiled at him. A couple of years ago, if you'd told her that she'd be having a baby with this guy, she would have told them to get their meds checked.

Castle lifted up her shirt, reverently pressing a kiss against the spot where a tiny foot was trying desperately to break free. "We need to start thinking about a name," He murmured.

"I guess we can't keep calling her the Minion forever," Kate agreed.

"But she's going to be my prodigy. My partner in crime!" Castle protested.

Kate shoved his shoulder playfully. "Johanna for the middle name," she suggested quietly. "I don't think I could stand the reminder if it were her first name."

"Of course," Castle agreed. He walked towards the study and came back toting his laptop. "Let's search for names."

Some names they both agreed were awful (Heaven-Leigh? Really?), a few that Kate adored but Castle turned his nose up at (Amelie, Ivy) and some Kate flat out refused to consider until Castle could grow a human and pop it out (Mila, MacKenzie or Zara). They'd both agreed that they wouldn't be giving their daughter a popular name (Kate had way too many memories of being mixed up with the other Katie at her elementary school) and it had to be a name that fit in with both of theirs and Alexis's (for the sake of Christmas cards, Castle impressed).

"What about Ava?" Kate suggested.

Castle tried the name out. "Too many A sounds close together. Ava Johanna," he pointed out. Kate nodded.

"Ruby Johanna?" Castle suggested.

Kate wrinkled her nose. "Like Ruby Tuesday? Her big sister has red hair."

"The kid would never escape getting red stuff for her birthday," Castle agreed.

Kate leaned over and clicked over a few pages (Castle refused to let her touch the laptop, petrified that radiation would somehow leak in and deep fry the baby). She highlighted one of the names on the page. "Castle, I love it."

He rested a chin on her shoulder, reading what she'd highlighted. He spoke the name out loud. "It might be perfect," he agreed.

Kate pressed a kiss to his cheek. "It means peace," she pointed out. Kate jumped as she felt a particularly violent kick.

"Suits her perfectly already," Castle agreed.

"We have a name," Kate grinned.

"I don't want to tell anybody until she's born," Castle murmured. "I copped so much crap before Alexis was born. People were telling me she'd be doomed to being a lesbian biker, that I was setting her up for a lifetime of 'please, call me Ally' to avoid bullying."

Kate rolled her eyes along with him. People could be jerks. "I want to keep it to us for a little while," she agreed. "She'll practically be public property when she's born as one of the 12th's mascots, so I'm going to be selfish and hold onto a little piece of her while I can."

"Mascots?" Castle asked.

Kate shook her head. "A couple of uniforms were joking a few weeks back that Ryan Jr and our Minion are going to be the mascots of the 12th. I didn't know how to tell them that the baby wouldn't be heading out to crime scenes with me."

"I don't know, Beckett. If anybody can rock the detective with a baby sling, it's you."

* * *

Two days passed and Kate was slowly going mad. She tied her greasy hair into a knot on the top of her head, tugged on a pair of Castle's sweatpants and settled herself down to begin hate-watching _Toddlers and Tiaras_. Filled with disgust and self loathing, Kate reassured herself that she would be nothing like the parents on that god-awful show and contented herself with reassurance that her daughter wouldn't ever be subjected to a competition that judged her entirely based on her appearance. At one point, Castle pressed a kiss to her cheek and told her he was going out for a while. Kate nodded and focussed back on the TV, loudly scorning the judges for who they named Miss Ultimate Pimped Out By Their Parents For A College Fund.

Kate was just trying to decide how much she hated herself for mentally debating whether she'd prefer to watch _Jersey Shore _or _Dr. Phil _when there was a knock at the door. She slowly pushed herself upwards, realising that Castle had probably forgotten his keys (it wasn't the first time) and made her way to the door.

"Come on, Castle, we talked about this. Check you've got keys before you walk out the door," she swung the door open, a slightly haughty expression on her face. "What are you guys doing here?"

Ryan and Esposito were standing at her front door, manila files in hand. "We need fresh eyes, Beckett," Ryan admitted sheepishly.

A rush flooded through Kate like she hadn't felt in weeks. "Come on in, guys."

* * *

Kate insisted on dashing off for a shower and putting on real clothes before she actually took a look at the case. She walked out into the living room, feeling as professional as she could with bare feet and wet hair and a belly that poked out slightly from underneath one of her stretchiest pre-pregnancy t-shirts.

"Okay, guys, hit me with what you've got."

She sat quietly and listened to the case thus far. The more she listened, the more the lump in her throat built. Kate looked past the boys and caught Castle's eye. She knew exactly what he'd done.

"Beckett, are you crying?" Espo panicked, frantically looking around for exits.

"I'm fine," She insisted, scrubbing at the tears tracking down her cheeks, "I cry at the drop of a hat these days and I know you don't actually need me for this case and you're doing this so I don't snap and kill somebody because I'm so bored and now I'm rambling and I'm a mess." She looked over at Castle helplessly. He wisely suppressed a chuckle and squeezed her shoulder (a form of affection she'd deemed appropriate for the workplace). "C'mon Beckett," he teased her tenderly. "There's a case that needs solving."

* * *

Kate had eagerly pored over financial statements and photos of the crime scene, sending the boys off with several fresh leads as she settled back on the couch, the Minion moving rapidly over all the excitement.

Castle set a plate in front of her, loaded up with the pickles and garlic dip she'd been craving all week, brushing a kiss against her cheekbone. "Your mood has improved," he commented.

Kate grinned up at him "It feels so good to use my brain," she admitted. "I'm going crazy, Castle."

He gave her a rueful grin. "I know." He stood behind her, gently kneading her shoulders.

"I know I've been awful," she murmured. "But I've been so bored and these crazy pregnant hormones are not helping," she grabbed his hand, squeezing tightly as she looked up at him. "I just want sex, Castle. This bed rest thing would be far less shitty if I was allowed to have one tiny orgasm."

Castle looked away sheepishly. Kate's eyes narrowed and she gasped. "You are such a jerk!"

"Its not like… Kate!" Castle spluttered as he ducked the pillow Kate flung at him.

"Are you kidding me? I have been stressed out of my mind about this pregnancy, terrified that I'm going to sneeze wrong, start bleeding and miscarry and I am so horny I want to gnaw something. All I wanted was a little bit of support, but you couldn't even do that!" Kate picked up another pillow and tossed it at him. "I'm reduced to throwing pillows because I'm too scared to stand up and punch you. You really couldn't just keep it in your pants? You're an asshole!"

"Kate, come on, can we talk about this?" Castle asked, reaching out to touch her.

"Do not touch me right now, Castle," Kate ordered icily, smacking his hand away. She picked up the plate he'd made up for her and marched up the stairs, growling for him to leave her the hell alone.

* * *

Kate sat in bed that night, rubbing hand and nail cream into her palms viciously. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Castle walk into the room and begin getting ready for bed. She cleared her throat. "You don't think you're sleeping in here, do you?"

"Kate, come on," Castle began.

"No," she snapped. "I will not come on." She pointed to the door. "You know where the couch is."

Castle had very wisely decided spend the next week writing in locations that were not his office, occasionally helping the boys out with a case at the precinct and biding his time, desperately hoping that Kate would cool down.

Kate sat in the living room, polishing all her jewellery when there was a knock at the door. She hadn't slept well in days and she was lonely, cranky and bored; certainly not expecting guests. She swung the door open to see her Dad standing at the door, holding a bunch of flowers and a bag of piping hot Chinese food. "Court let out early," he explained. "Thought I'd come and hang out with my favourite girl."

The second Jim had set down his packages on the dining room table; Kate stepped forward and wrapped her Dad in a hug. "Thank you for coming to see me."

Jim rubbed his daughter's shoulder, surprised that his stoic girl was so overt in showing emotion.

Kate pulled away, a blush rising on her cheeks. "Sorry, it's just been a rough couple of weeks," she confessed, ducking away to put the flowers in water and grab plates.

* * *

Jim watched Kate dig into lunch. She was glowing, though he could see her underlying frustration at sitting at home. "You know, your Mom was on bed rest for the last three months of her pregnancy," he commented, snagging a spring roll. "Pre-eclampsia."

Kate sighed heavily. "Don't tell me that, Dad."

"Katie, what is the matter?" Jim asked.

Kate dropped her chopsticks, fingers massaging the bridge of her nose. "Don't tell about Mom right now," she whispered. "This is supposed to be the best time of my life. I'm supposed to be happy and growing a new life and all that jazz. Right now I'm furious with Castle and I am so mad at Mom and none of this feels like it should," Kate whimpered, frustrated with herself that a tear slipped out.

"Katie, I know you miss your Mom…"

"That's the thing though Dad! I've missed her for over ten years now. I'm fine with missing her. I'm mad at her. She should have been here for this," Kate looked at her father desperately, one hand pressed to her stomach. "She was getting death threats. She knew what was coming if she pursued that stupid lawsuit, but she did it anyway and now she's not here for this. She should be here sympathising with me over how much bed rest sucks and helping me design the nursery, but she's not and I'm angry at her." Kate bit her lip and bowed her head, shocked at her outburst and certain that her father wouldn't deal with it well.

Jim chuckled mirthlessly. "Oh, Katie," he sighed. "I understand."

Kate looked up, shocked. "You do?"

Jim nodded. "Oh yeah," he asserted. "I'm so happy for you Katie. I think you will be an amazing mother, but I'm also heartbroken that your Mom isn't here to see it."

Kate scrubbed a hand over her eyes. "I'm just so frustrated. I want this placenta issue to just sort itself out so that I can just enjoy being pregnant," she looked at her Dad shyly. "We're having a girl." She reached out and grabbed Jim's hand, resting it against the swell of her midsection. "Meet your granddaughter."

* * *

Kate was grateful for the afternoon spent with her father. His mild manner put her at ease and she finally felt like the terrified buzz at the back of her head had been soothed for a little while. After dinner, her father had pressed a kiss to her cheek and quietly excused himself.

Kate slipped into a warm tub, the added weight on her back lightening as the buoyancy of the water carried her. The clear water crept up to her neck; free from the bath oils she usually indulged in for fear of causing any further complications.

Her long soak had the same effect it usually did. The tension seeped from her muscles and she was able to relax and think clearly. She rested her head against the edge of the tub, listening as she heard Castle rattling around in their bedroom. "Castle," she called out. "Come in here."

The door to the bathroom opened slowly and Castle stood in the frame looking hesitant. Kate shot him an apologetic smile. "Get your ass in here," she murmured. Scooting forward in the tub, Kate felt Castle slip in behind her and pull her back into his embrace. "I'm so sorry," she breathed, her head falling back to rest against his shoulder. "I overreacted."

"I was an inconsiderate jerk. I deserved it," he murmured back, lips grazing her neck.

Kate's eyes slipped closed, her warm and pliant muscles melting against him. His long fingers tracing circles on her belly lulled her into quiet contemplation.

"She's just like you," Castle murmured in her ear. "She's so relaxed in the tub." It was true. The Minion was rolling leisurely, none of her usual kicks or escape attempts.

Kate brought a hand up to rest on Castle's, her engagement ring glinting in the candlelight. "You should have felt her go crazy around her Grandpa today."

"He is going to spoil her rotten, isn't he?" Castle rumbled, his deep baritone vibrating through Kate and warming her heart.

"I think he'll have some competition with her daddy. You're going to make me the bad cop, aren't you?"

"I'm hoping she'll be as perfect as Alexis and we won't have to," Castle admitted, leaning forward to pull the plug out of the tub. He stood up and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist before assisting Kate in getting out. He gently dried her skin, carefully chasing each drop on her skin, wiping it away with a fluffy white towel.

Kate shifted awkwardly. She hadn't been nude in front of Castle for well over a month now. She was starting to feel like a whale, all swollen breasts and engorged belly.

"Katherine Castle, you are a beautiful woman," Castle purred.

"Castle," she murmured, uncomfortable under his penetrating gaze.

Castle leaned away to snag a jar, the rich smell of the organic, fair trade cocoa butter he so loved to slather Kate with perfuming the air. "I've always been attracted to you," he reminded her, picking up one of her arms and gently beginning to massage the moisturiser into her skin. "From the second you waved that badge at me, your looks have captured my imagination." He moved to her other arm, the delicious pressure from his hands making Kate tranquil, the tightness of her muscles melting away. "The sight of you in that gold dress had me weak at the knees," he confessed, his buttery hands working at her shoulder blades, gently supporting her weight as she became soft and malleable under his ministrations. He moved her to perch on the edge of the tub. "And I won't reveal the nature of my thoughts when you disguised yourself as Svetlana, the Russian escort to save my cocky ass," he knelt down, picking up one elegant foot, his thumb working in her arch, drawing a soft moan from her rosebud lips.

He steadily worked his way up her leg, kneading her muscles into jelly, before beginning the process again with her other leg. "I was speechless when I saw you in that bathing suit," he recalled fondly, the first time he'd seen her dripping wet and breathtaking.

Helping her stand, he moved her to lean against his chest as his hands manipulated the firm flesh of her buttocks. "I was seething mad when I saw you dressed in black on another man's arm, looking like heaven." His hands rubbed her aching lower back, his magic touch soothing away the pain. "I never thought you would be more stunning than when you knocked on my door, dripping wet and battle scarred." His hands slipped up to move against the full, swollen breasts that pregnancy had blessed her with. He gently turned her around to face the mirror. "I was wrong," he began to massage her stomach, no pressure now, just the decadent feeling of his bare flesh on hers. "Seeing you pregnant, knowing all the changes to your body are because you're carrying my little girl? Seeing the love and dedication in your every movement? You have never been more gorgeous," his hands stilled as he began peppering kisses along the milky column of her throat. "So don't doubt me when I say that you, Katherine Castle, are a beautiful woman."

Sleepy and pliable from the attention at her husband's hands, Kate obediently followed Castle out to the bedroom where she sat on the edge of the bed. He untied her hair and ran her brush through the long tresses, gently working out any snarls. "Let's go to bed," he suggested, pulling back the covers and guiding her to lie on her side. He carefully tucked pillows between her legs and under her belly before sliding in behind her. Kate fell asleep with the warmth of her husband behind her, his hands weaving gently in and out of her hair.

* * *

**Riding on the coattails of the Valentine's Day episode, I humbly offer this. For a more steamy tub!fic, I point you towards Bathing In Comfort, a one shot written by myself and AnnieXMuller.**

**Reviews are like empty drawers. They make me squeal with love and joy.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I apologise profusely for the delay in an update. Real life has been kicking my arse... there will be further explanation below for those who are interested.**

**Thanks to Annie, who always manages to text and ask if I'm writing when I'm trawling go fug yourself (because fugly is the new pretty) and Rad Tad, who is a beta-ing machine.**

* * *

Kate was sound asleep. Her pregnancy pillow had been delivered and she was in heaven, immediately twining herself around the long cushion and crashing. Castle had awoken at around 5am, Nikki gently tickling at the back of his mind, whispering a story that needed to be told. After he'd gotten the words down, he padded back to the bedroom, expecting Kate to be up and readying herself for the doctor's appointment they had at 9.30 that morning.

She was still out like a light.

Castle crept over to the bed. Her belly had swollen dramatically over the last two weeks; she was a day short of entering her thirty first week of pregnancy and just two days prior, her skin had stretched so much that her belly button poked out. He carefully pulled the blankets away, rolling Kate's shirt up to expose her bump. "Hey little girl," he breathed. "It's Daddy and baby time."

He propped himself up on a pillow, sprawling across the bed so he could best face his growing daughter. "Listen to me, honey," he saw the outline of a hand push against Kate's skin and he gently traced his finger against it. "It's not going to be long before I can hold your hand for real, but baby," he paused, leaning forward to press his lips against his wife's midsection. "Your Mommy needs you to help her and grow just a tiny bit more so that you're safe to come out the way you're supposed to. She's miserable," he cleared his throat quietly, "and it is killing me to see her like this. Just do your best for me, okay? That is all I can ask."

Castle rubbed his stubbly cheek against her belly (secretly hoping his daughter would love "whiskers" the way Alexis had; sneaking into bed with him in the early hours of the morning, her chubby little hands tracing his beard) one finger poking on the little hand desperate for escape, gently pressing kisses to Kate's belly as he murmured nonsense stories.

Kate's hand crept up, slowly carding through his hair, nails gently scraping against his scalp. "Morning," she murmured blearily.

"Morning," he replied. He gave Kate a smile when her hand covered his, resting against their daughter. "How much of that did you hear?"

Kate smiled sheepishly "I wasn't trying to listen." She brushed a hand across Castle's cheek. "You're a good Daddy," she hummed. She stretched and looked at the clock, promptly groaning when she realised that not only was she going to have to get out of bed, she was also sentencing the girls to boob jail, at least for a few hours.

* * *

The rest of the check up had gone well. Dr Swinton had gushed over the huge growth of her belly in the last few weeks and had assured her that the ten pounds she'd gained so far in the pregnancy was perfectly normal and to not be shocked if she gained more.

"Okay, it's the moment of truth," Dr Swinton announced. "Rick, could you help Kate up onto the bed for me?" She asked, directing both of them to the ultrasound room.

"I have a good feeling about this," Castle whispered, linking his hand with Kate's as they waited for Dr Swinton to return. Kate said nothing; only pressing a light kiss against his knuckles and closing her eyes. Kate barely registered the cold squirt of gel against her skin and had all but tuned out the hushed tones Dr Swinton was using.

"Kate, did you hear me? I said everything is perfect. The placenta has moved to where it should be and you're going to be able to have a natural birth if you so choose."

"What?" Kate's eyes widened, the weight that had been pressing on her chest for months lightening as she studied the doctor, looking for any hint she'd misheard.

Dr Swinton smiled. "Looks like you need to start working on that birth plan after all."

"Does that mean…"

Dr Swinton gave her a knowing look, "you can have sex."

"Oh thank God," Kate muttered, her head falling back onto the headrest.

* * *

Kate was walking on sunshine. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this elated. She couldn't stop grinning as she followed Castle up to the loft. She got as far as the elevator before she pounced on him. "Aren't you going to call Gates?" Castle asked, desperately fumbling for his keys as Kate teased his ear mercilessly.

"Gates can wait until tomorrow," she sighed, pushing him through the doorframe and shedding her clothing as she made her way towards the bedroom.

* * *

The round of applause that the bullpen had broken out into as Kate stepped through the door was a little excessive, but she'd appreciated it none the less. She was so relieved to be back at work that she gladly endured the belly rubs and incessant questions about the pregnancy.

She was just settling back at her desk, briefed on the current case and ready to start poring over interrogation footage. The boys had hit a wall and they were desperately hoping that new perspective was going to help them with the case.

She looked up from the file, glancing at the phone sitting on her desk. She forced herself to look away. She was being stupid.

The deadline for _Desert Heat _was months away, but Castle had insisted he needed to stay home and get it finished so it could be handed over to his editor, not wanting to spend the first few weeks of his daughter's life deliberating over where a comma should be. His presence had been a constant during her bed rest (even when he was out of the house, he was constantly checking in) and it felt strange to not have him at her side. She looked at the phone again. Before she was fully aware of what she was doing, she'd picked up the phone and dialled Castle's cell.

She knew for a fact that Castle's iPhone sat on the desk next to him when he wrote. The fact that he didn't answer on the first or second ring instantly sent a shiver running down her spine. "Is everything okay?" He demanded breathlessly when he finally answered.

Kate's eyebrow raised (even though she knew he couldn't see it), "Yeah, everything's fine," she heard a loud bang in the background. "What's going on?" she asked, instantly suspicious.

"Nothing," Castle replied far too quickly, false innocence ringing from his tone.

"Castle," Kate said warningly.

"Yes, dearest?" he replied charmingly. His own suspicion had been aroused. "Why are you calling?" He asked.

Kate froze. "I just wanted to make sure you hadn't set the loft on fire trying to deep fry popcorn," she covered quickly.

Castle cleared his throat. "I'm more than willing to hear the real reason, whenever you're ready," he prompted.

There was no way around it. "I miss you, okay?" She admitted quietly. She could feel a blush rise on her cheeks, but her confession had left her heart feeling slightly buoyant.

"I miss you too," Castle replied easily. He cringed when he heard a thump.

"I don't want to know, do I?" Kate asked, massaging the bridge of her nose, imagining the kind of disaster Castle was unleashing on the loft (most likely in the name of research).

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies," Castle replied cheerfully. "You'll be home for dinner, right?"

"Unless a body drops, but even then, I'm sure Gates will shoo me out," Kate replied.

"I'll see you then. Love you."

Kate placed the phone back in its cradle, discreetly placing a hand on her stomach. "Yeah, Kid, I know," she murmured, turning back to her paperwork.

* * *

Around 2pm LT had volunteered to go on a Remy's run. The enthusiasm Kate was showing for her lunch had both Ryan and Espo staring, mouths slightly agape.

"What?" Kate demanded, dragging a French fry through her Styrofoam container of extra hot chilli.

"I've never seen you that excited about food before," Espo marvelled.

"You're going to get the worst indigestion," Ryan added. Jenny had recently given birth to their son, Killian and had suffered unbearable heartburn if she so much as smelt anything spicy.

"I'm eating for two," Kate stated blithely. "Besides, Castle makes me eat like I'm training for the New York Marathon. This chilli is so worth any heartburn."

Espo cleared his throat awkwardly, Ryan smoothing a hand through his hair. Kate could only quirk an eyebrow at the pair of them and turned towards the door to the break room.

Castle held up a hand in greeting. "Thought I'd take Kate out to lunch," he offered. "I didn't realise you guys were having a slumber party without me."

"For the record, Remy's was Kate's idea," Esposito defended. Ryan nodded vigorously behind him.

"Nice, guys," Kate rolled her eyes. "Throw the pregnant lady under a bus." She looked up at her husband, "Hi," She murmured; well aware that Castle had made the trip into the precinct purely because of her earlier phone call, but had come armed with an excuse so that she could save face in front of her team.

"Hey, sweetheart," he answered easily, leaning over to brush a kiss against her cheekbone and snag one of her fries.

"I thought you had edits to be working on?" Kate asked him, nodding towards the chair next to her.

"They'll still be there when I get home," Castle shrugged. "I've got a meeting at Black Pawn for cover art decisions in an hour, so I thought I'd drop by."

Ryan looked up from his phone. "Good timing, Castle. Jenny is on her way up with Killian."

Kate shook her head when she saw Espo's chest puff up slightly. She had never seen anybody take his godfatherly duties quite as seriously as Javier Esposito did.

"How's the little man going?" Castle asked.

Ryan grinned. "He's awesome. Eating like a machine. Has a set of lungs on him, though."

From the sudden movement (and a few squeals) echoing out of the bullpen, it was obvious Jenny and Killian had made their entrance. Esposito was like a magnet. He abandoned his BLT and made a beeline for the baby carrier.

"We're going to have one of those soon," Castle mused, eyes alight with happiness.

"We are," Kate agreed, wincing at the particularly strong kick to her ribs. Given that Castle was visiting the precinct as her husband today and not working a case with her, she had no compunction about linking her hand with his and leading him out into the roomful of cooing cops.

"Javi, I wouldn't do that," Jenny said warningly as Esposito swayed the Killian in his arms, his thick head of Irish red hair glinting in the light.

"He's fine, Jenny," Esposito said dismissively. Jenny only rolled her eyes and was the only person who was unsurprised when Killian spat up milky white all over Esposito's black shirt.

"He fed an hour ago," Jenny pointed out unnecessarily. Ryan swooped in to grab his son out of Espo's arms, every inch the proud papa. Jenny came over and perched at the edge of Kate's desk. "So, how are you doing?" Jenny asked.

Kate smiled. "I'm back at work, so that's something. I find myself cleaning, a lot."

Jenny giggled. "Oh yeah. My nesting was intense. I reorganised the baby's room four times."

Kate looked over at Jenny, pondering her words. "Sometimes I feel like there is no way I'm ready to give birth and actually be a Mom to a tiny person…"

"But when its 3am and you've _finally_ gotten comfortable and you suddenly need to pee right that second you just want the kid out of you?" Jenny supplied helpfully.

"Exactly!" Kate agreed.

"I used to have those mood swings three times a day," Jenny reassured her. "You're not a freak." Jenny squeezed Kate's shoulder affectionately when Castle moved in for baby cuddle time. "He's going to be an excellent father. You're really lucky, Kate."

"He's going to be a fun father. I'm totally going to end up being the mean parent," Kate mused. Her jaw dropped entirely when she saw Gates walk out of her office and literally take Killian out of Castle's arms, cooing to him as she moved around the bullpen. Most of the cops in the room were shocked to see such an openly maternal side to the stern Captain, but Kate simply gave her a knowing wink.

"Time to get some practice in, Detective," Gates announced, stepping over to Kate and placing baby Killian in her arms.

Killian looked up at her with wide blue eyes that were so much like his father's. His fist was wedged firmly in his gummy mouth, his tongue poking out to explore his fingers. He was completely at ease in Kate's arms. "Hi there, Killian," she murmured. His head twisting toward Kate's chest, nose bumping against her bust, "I know I don't smell like your Mommy," she cooed to him, "but she's letting me practice with you until my baby comes." Kate's tone was soft, but she didn't speak down to him. She continued her quiet chatter, chuckling when a particularly hard kick was aimed near to where Killian rested against Kate's baby bump. Kate handed him back over to Jenny, "I think my Little Miss is getting jealous," Kate joked.

The second Killian was back in Jenny's arms he began to wail. "And that is feeding time," Jenny announced, looking at her watch.

"Feel free to use one of the empty interview rooms if you need to," Kate suggested.

Jenny nodded gratefully, grabbing her baby bag and carting a howling Killian out of the room.

* * *

Kate made it home at the respectable hour of 7pm.

Castle was up to something.

There was a note tacked to the front door. _Follow the trail_. Underneath the note there was a tiny pink sock. The loft was eerily quiet when she opened the door. On the floor there was a matching sock. Kate didn't bother bend over to pick them up, knowing she'd only topple over and end up like a turtle on its shell, unable to get up and forced to call Castle for assistance and ruining whatever plans he'd made.

Kate followed the trail of socks up the stairs, suspicious but amused. She knew exactly what her gorgeous manchild of a husband had done.

She opened the door to what had once been Martha's room (swapping apartments had been the best thing she and Castle's mother had ever done).

"Surprise!" Castle offered.

Of course he had. All the furniture and decorations Kate had ordered had been set up, in the perfect Minnie Mouse bedroom for a little girl.

"You got the idea from the ratty doll I bought Alexis at Disneyland, didn't you?" Castle asked, hugging Kate from behind as she traced the dark wood of the crib.

"You caught me," Kate replied, spying said stuffed animal on the rocking chair in the corner. "Alexis said it was a reminder of how awesome her daddy is. It's only fair that the Minion gets the same."

* * *

**There has been a bit of a delay... I admit I've been exploring the world of Gates (and also, the idea of Alexis and Max Gates, which is a whole other kettle of fish... this fic, Max is not gay like he is here :P) until I started uni again for the year.**

**On top of other fics and real life, life decided to kick some asses a little more. On Monday evening, my best friend's Mama (who was my second mama) lost her battle with leukaemia. As you can imagine, I've been quite busy looking after my friend in the last week of her mother's life and right after her death. In part, this chapter was so sweet because I was indulging some escapism. (I also hung out with two newborns today... it was an excellent research opportunity and like Espo, I was puked on... though I wasn't moving the bub around)**

**Send some love my way if you can, guys? This week sucks. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Ladies and gentleman... we are nearing the end :) Thank you all so much for the outpouring of love you sent me with the last chapter... it really meant the world to me *hugs***

**I began writing this before the storyline with Alexis's kidnapping (which was awesome, btw), so we're working on the basis that Alexis was not kidnapped in this universe (I think it's going to have a significant bearing on her character and one I didn't account for at the start of the story, so I'm choosing to ignore it)**

**Things I own: Seasons 1-4 of Castle on DVD, four pairs of Black Milk Leggings, one tube of Russian Red Lipstick.**

**Things I do not own: A unicorn, a jumping castle, Castle the TV show.**

* * *

There was no active case, so Kate had reorganised her desk (again). Then she cleaned out the refrigerator (throwing out anything that offended her Doberman-sensitive pregnant nose or without a label) and rearranged every cupboard in the breakroom (pissing everybody off when they couldn't find coffee cups or the sugar). She was just making a start on reorganising the evidence room when Captain Gates caught her picking up a box, chewed her out and ordered her to sit down before she sent herself into preterm labour. Kate had relented and was content to sit at her desk, alphabetising files.

Ryan and Esposito were staring at her, wide eyed. "Don't look so surprised, guys," She snapped. "I'm nesting."

She sent the guys back and forth for the rest of the afternoon, giving them very specific instructions as to where they were to place each of the boxes.

They exchanged relieved looks when Kate's phone buzzed with a text message from Castle, informing her that he was close to the precinct and would she please meet him outside.

Kate stepped into the elevator, leaning against the wall to take some of the pressure off her aching back (she'd finally, _finally,_ given up her beloved high heels, but not without a small crying fit as she was getting ready for work). Kate groaned in annoyance. She'd been struck by baby brain yet again and left her handbag on her desk. She leaned over and tapped the button for the homicide floor.

Kate waved off the ribbing good-naturedly and triple checked she had everything before she walked back over to the elevator. She was taken by surprise when the doors opened.

"Will," she gasped, totally shocked. There he was, in the flesh. Will Sorensen, FBI Dude. "Hi," she recovered.

"Whoa," he breathed, taking in the sight of her. "You look different from the last time I saw you," he stated. "Marrying that writer dude looks good on you," he complimented her.

Kate hit the button for ground floor and ran a hand through her hair, "You saw that, huh?"

Paula had wanted to do a five-page spread in _People_ magazine to promote the wedding. Kate had steadfastly refused, insisting she wasn't a Kardashian and she saw no need to broadcast their private life (who really cared about an author getting married anyway?) for the world to see. It had taken a lot of negotiation, but Kate had agreed to a one page article, on the proviso that the revenue raised from the photographs sold was donated to a charity supporting the widows and children of deceased cops.

"I saw it," Will agreed. "I always knew I could never stand a chance against that writer. You seem happy, Kate. Happier than you ever were when I knew you."

Kate reflected back to when Will had known her. She was an obsessed, single-minded cop with a vendetta, too scared to let anyone get close to her. Her life had shifted radically since then; she was a wife, a stepmother, a very soon-to-be-mother. She had a job she loved and a support network she wouldn't be without. "I am happy. I'm really, really happy." She looked down, spotting the simple white band on Will's left hand. She wasn't the only one.

Stepping out of the elevator, Kate gave him an awkward hug. "It was good seeing you, Will," she told him warmly. She gave him a wave, before walking over to where Castle was waiting for her.

Castle had seen Sorensen, but didn't question his presence at the precinct. "Come on," Castle murmured, slipping an arm around her shoulder. "The car is parked around back."

"Why do we need the car?" Kate asked. Castle very rarely drove in the city; preferring to ride in a town car or occasionally take the subway, his mind coming alive as he made up stories about his fellow commuters.

"Don't worry about why we need the car," Castle responded. "Just get in."

Kate raised an eyebrow at him when she saw her pregnancy pillow sitting on the passenger's seat of Castle's silver Mercedes. "Can I nap on the way?" She asked.

* * *

They had finally made it out of Manhattan and were driving on the freeway to god-knows-where. Kate had reclined her seat slightly, comfortably padded as she traced her nails up and down Castle's free wrist. "You're not taking me away to murder me, are you?" she asked drowsily. "Because I can't really defend myself right now and that would be really unfair."

"I'm not taking you away to murder you," Castle promised. "It took me four years to get to you see me, I'm not about to undo that kind of hard work."

"I know you saw me come out of the precinct with Will," Kate stated. "A Vice case is going Federal, because they've found links to the trafficking of kids from South East Asia. He came to liaise with the cops who opened the case." Kate sighed heavily. "I can't stop thinking about little Angela Candela." Kate nibbled on her lip. "I have nightmares about that case. About somebody taking away our girl," she confessed.

Castle checked his rear vision mirror. There were no cars around, so Castle had no qualms about pulling over to comfort his teary wife. "Hey," he breathed, snapping off his seat belt so he could lean over the console and rest his head next to Kate's. "I can't promise you that fear goes away," he whispered. "I wish I could," he gently cupped her cheek, smiling when her hand curled around his. "All I can say is welcome to being a parent, sweetheart," he crooned, giving her a crooked grin.

"Maybe I just won't ever give birth. She's safe where she is," Kate mused, tipping her seat up slightly as Castle pulled back onto the road.

"I'll remind you of that next time you can't sleep because of the wiggling."

* * *

The European style manor in the lush vegetation of a New Jersey forest was simply stunning. It was like it had been plucked right out of a classic novel and transplanted to modern day America.

"Castle, this place is gorgeous," Kate sighed as she accepted his hand to get out of the car.

"I figured we should use the chance to get away while we can," Castle shrugged, handing his keys to the valet. She followed him to the front desk and admired the artwork as he checked in.

If the lobby had wowed Kate, she was gobsmacked when Castle opened the door to the villa they were standing in.

Kate immediately toed off her ballet flats, her bare feet sinking into the thick eggshell carpet. "Where did you find this place, Castle?"

"I knew you wouldn't want to fly," Castle replied. "So I figured anything we did had to be driving distance. I also knew that we should be close to home in case we needed anything. When I saw the name of this place I just couldn't resist."

He handed her a business card. Her eyebrow rose when she read the name of the hotel. "The Castle at Skyland Manor? This is a joke, right?"

"I made the reservation weeks ago, but I figured they would think it was a prank if I actually made the reservation under Castle. I think the receptionist recognised me though."

Kate held her hand out to him. "Let's explore."

Their luggage was placed into the room as they explored the sizable bathroom and Castle tested the bounciness of the bed. Bypassing the tiny kitchenette and theatre room, Kate opened a set of glass French doors. "How many villas come with their own indoor pool?" She asked.

Castle smirked. "Just this one," he followed Kate down to the pool's edge. "You don't think it's too pretentious?"

"Nope," Kate replied. Her hands moved for the buttons on her blouse. "I don't see a dead guy," she pointed out. She unceremoniously shed her clothes and made her way over to the stairs, stark naked. "You coming, Castle?"

The water lapping at her swollen ankles was heaven. Without hesitation, Kate made her way down the stairs. Her sigh of relief echoed off the tiles of the poolroom. The water supported the weight of the belly she could barely get her hands to meet around, taking the pressure off her back. She could move with a surprising amount of grace. She smiled when she felt Castle slip in next to her (grateful that he'd taken the mature path and not cannon balled in). "I don't feel like a manatee anymore," she murmured. "This is amazing."

"I thought you were going to kick my ass for this," he confessed quietly.

"For what? I have three days off and I'm not on call. We just need to hope that the murderers in the 12th's jurisdiction behave and they don't call me back in an emergency." Kate swam over to Castle, treading water as she bobbed next to him. "This was really sweet of you. Our whole world is going to change when this little Miss comes along and it's nice to have some time with you when I can actually do things, instead of just lie on the couch like a beached whale."

* * *

The thick curtains of the villa ensured that they could both sleep late. Kate had figured out months before that she couldn't eat large meals (the kicking had made that damn near impossible) so she snacked on yogurt and fruit as she watched Castle attack the full English breakfast room service had delivered to their room.

"Want to go for a walk?" Kate asked. The grounds of the hotel were simply stunning and Kate wanted to explore before she took an afternoon nap.

Castle shrugged. "We can if you want."

There was still a slight chill in the air, so Kate wrapped a light scarf around her neck after wrestling herself into a pair of stretchy woollen leggings (that were starting to get slightly tight, but she couldn't bear the thought of buying a new pair for the remaining few weeks of her pregnancy) and slipping on one of Castle's sweaters that hung on her frame like a cashmere dress. She pinned a few of her curls off her face, not bothering with an attempt to restrain her waist length curtain of hair.

Kate held up her flat brown boots and a pair of socks. "I'm not even going to try," she announced. She hadn't seen her feet in weeks and her last attempt at putting on shoes that required actual lacing instead of just sliding had ended with Castle barely managing to catch her before she toppled over.

Castle knelt in front of her, neatly sliding the socks over her feet before tenderly guiding her feet into the shoes. "I like that you let me do things for you," he told her quietly. Kate's independent streak ran to her core and he'd been privately terrified that she was going to cling to it when she was pregnant, shutting him out by default.

"I'm incubating your kid, you have to help by keeping me clothed. Isn't this how the whole marriage thing works?" She extended her hands, letting him pull her off the bed.

* * *

Castle leaned against a tree, content to observe. He didn't know how in hell he'd gotten so lucky.

Kate wandered through a grove of trees just starting to grow fresh leaves, the soft spring sun reflecting off her hair. He had studied Greek folklore as an undergraduate, but had never understood how human men fell in love with creatures of the Pantheon. Mythology came true before his very eyes. Forged from Chaos, she had bloomed and endured despite all the world had thrown at her, becoming the source of life. She was the Protector, the one who kept those she cared for safe. Justice flowed through her veins and she had the wisdom and strategy to mete it out. He'd seen her arise from sea foam and she drew in all who saw her with a curve of her lips.

His palm itched, desperate to be wrapped around a pen. He joined the company of Homer and Sophocles; confronted with the image of the Divine, his human words insufficient to describe the taste of ambrosia, the vision of infinity before him.

One hand resting on her belly, Kate was murmuring quietly to their daughter, a moment between mother and child he wouldn't dare intrude on. He itched to capture an image of the moment, determined that this snippet of eternity shouldn't exist in his writer's mind alone. Kate was drawn into her own world, seemingly ignorant of Castle's presence. Slipping his camera from his pocket, he snapped a photograph from his wife. Shaking off his musings, Castle bent to pluck a handful of azaleas growing at the base of a tree. He walked over to Kate, tenderly tucking a branch of the pink blooms behind her ear. Words seemed superfluous, so he simply leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. She gave him a luminous smile, burrowing into his side as they made their way back to their sanctuary.

* * *

Castle had spared no expense. He'd had the best prenatal beauty service in the country flown in to lavish attention on Kate. She'd had manicures, pedicures, hair treatments, a belly facial (Castle didn't know that was a thing, but he simply shrugged and handed over his credit card) before a facial on her face and a couples massage. He knew that she'd enjoyed the pampering, her shy smile and quiet joy all he needed.

He knew she'd loved the attentions of the team he'd brought in from the other side of the country, but he was amused that what she'd loved most of all was the pool. Her exquisiteness struck him when he found her floating, hair flowing around her like a watery crown, nude without shame. Her arms were stretched out, purple painted toes sticking out from the water's surface. He couldn't help it. He took a photo.

"You really like the way I look right now, don't you?" Kate asked, her eyes still closed.

"Absolutely," Castle responded. He quickly stripped off his clothes and joined her in the pool, one large hand splaying under her lower back. "I've never seen you look so peaceful," he told her. "You're glowing, Kate. Motherhood looks so good on you." His free hand cupped her stomach, a grin eliciting on his face when he felt his daughter squirm. "Its like you've tapped into this whole other side of you. I get to discover a whole other part of who you are and it's all because you chose to have a baby with me."

Kate's eyes snapped open and she studied him seriously. "I love you, Richard Castle. I'm not a prize on a pedestal. I married you because I love you exactly as you are." She smiled at him, hoping desperately that she could break down a few of his walls as effortlessly as he had hers. "You're not a second option. You're not somebody I put up with. I chose you, Richard Castle, because you are wonderful." Kate forced herself upright, resting her waterlogged hands on his shoulders. "I need you just as much as you need me. I'm discovering just as much about you because of the Minion." Her hands snuck up to tangle in his hair. "You are the most tender, fierce, protective man I've ever known. Fatherhood was always sexy on you, but Castle…" she sighed, trying desperately to use words as eloquently as he did "All those traits are so much more attractive because they're exposed by something I'm doing for you… something I'm doing with you. The privilege of seeing another side to someone?" She bobbed forward, pressing a kiss to his stubbled jaw, "It goes both ways."

* * *

**Thoughts?**

**twitter dot com slash brookemopolitan**


	9. Chapter 9

**The response to the last chapter was amazing! And yes, the hotel they stayed at was a real place (The Castle at Skylands Manor) although, the villa did come from my imagination.**

**To the guest reviewer who asked about the role of Will in the last chapter: I wrote him in purely because I wanted to show a mirror between season 1 (and even pre show) Kate to the Kate we see in this fic and show how much she's grown. I thought that an ex-boyfriend (and maybe one with less public hatred toward him than someone like Demming or Josh) would be an interesting way to do it... it was also nice to use the Candela case from s1 to talk a little bit about the anxiety that comes with having a baby. On that note... if you are curious about anything I've written, please ask (preferably signed in, so I can reply).**

**Many thanks not only to Tad and Annie (who as usual, kick my ass into writing) but also to Kel and Ky, my sources of pregnancy wisdom. Y'all are awesome**

* * *

Nikki was not happy with him. He'd been ordered to rewrite a portion of _Desert Heat_ (something about libel… or slander. Black Pawn knew his propensity for basing characters on real life and they weren't touching any characters based on current public figures, even if they were modelled on dictators in South America) and Nikki was fighting it every step of the way. It didn't help that the last thing Castle wanted to be doing was rewriting an entire section of the novel, essentially softening the Kingpin of the case. Kate was officially full term at thirty-seven weeks and what he really wanted to be doing was enjoying the last days of being a newlywed; just he and his wife in their own little bubble. He was undeniably excited about the arrival of his daughter, but he selfishly wanted Kate all to himself just a little while longer.

He looked over at his bedroom door longingly. His rump was numb from the hours he'd spent sitting in the same spot, painstakingly reworking sections of text. Kate had come home from work, repacked her hospital bag (again) and sat in the living room, bouncing on a Pilates ball, insistent that she'd read that being in good shape would make her labour quicker. Castle seriously suspected that she was trying to jump start her delivery; she'd walked home from the precinct, ordered the spiciest Mexican food in New York City for dinner and Castle had spied a bottle of castor oil in the kitchen. He cracked his neck and turned back to his laptop. The quicker he got through these stupid edits, the quicker he could crawl into bed and take advantage of Kate's hormones making her want to cuddle up and be close to him as she slept.

The thump of a mug dropping onto his desk and the gentle trailing of nails on the nape of his neck broke him out of his writing reverie. He looked up at Kate, who was clad in one of his worn cotton tee shirts, her curls in messy disarray. "How's she going?" Kate asked him quietly.

Castle rolled his eyes, "Very slowly," he muttered, picking up the mug and taking a sip. He hid his smile. Kate had added a kick of nutmeg to his coffee. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Heartburn," Kate admitted sheepishly, putting down a mug of peppermint tea. "Before that it was a leg cramp, I woke myself up snoring and then I needed to pee."

Castle turned in his chair and pressed a kiss to Kate's bump. "The typing didn't keep you up?" He asked.

Kate shrugged. "I don't think I'll be getting much sleep tonight anyway," she muttered. "My back hurts."

"I wish I knew how to make this better," Castle told her, one hand snaking around to press at the aching muscles near her sacrum.

"Hit me over the head so that I'm out for a few hours?" Kate suggested hopefully.

"Come on," Castle gestured. He stood up and led Kate into the living room. "Dr Swinton said that sleeping on a recliner might help," he led her through the bedroom, snagging her pillows and a light blanket. "Get comfortable," he ordered gently as he strode out of the room.

When he returned, Kate was curled up on the recliner, _The Breakfast Club_ playing quietly on the plasma screen TV. "Try this," Castle suggested, gently wedging a hot water bottle underneath her lower back. Her sigh of relief was audible as she wiggled to position it correctly. Castle silently cursed the rewrites that had been foisted on him. His wife was uncomfortable and all he wanted to do was lie with her and massage her back to help her sleep.

"Thanks, Castle," she sighed. The crease on her brow had softened slightly, her breathing regular and even. He knew that she'd be out soon, but he _needed_ to be close to her. There was only one solution. Castle grabbed his laptop and heading back to the living room.

Nikki suddenly became a lot more agreeable now that he could be with his wife.

* * *

Kate had woken some time around nine to see her husband asleep on the couch; long legs hanging off the edge, his head at an uncomfortable looking angle on the arm rest. She wrestled her way out of her blanket cocoon and made her way over to him. "C'mon stud," she whispered, shaking his shoulder lightly. "Get up." She eventually shook him awake and he trudged, sleepy and docile towards their room. She chuckled when she saw him struggle to co-ordinate teeth brushing, quietly joining him at the sink. Moments like this, something so simple and domesticated struck Kate at the strangest moments. She'd opened her first Richard Castle novel as a jaded nineteen year old. She never would have believed that one day she'd be brushing her teeth alongside him, wearing a stretched and faded _Toy Story_ tee shirt of his, heavily pregnant with his child.

She shot him a shy smile when he finished. Linking his fingers with hers, she silently led him out to the bedroom. She reached for the hem of Castle's shirt, tugging it effortlessly over his head. She bit her lip, following suit with her own.

There was no need for shyness. Castle bowed his head, pressing his lips to hers as he pulled her gently toward the bed.

"You're not really going to work, are you?" Castle whined.

Kate gave him a dark look. "Of course I'm going to work, Castle. I'm pregnant, not dead."

"Kate, you're full term."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm well aware of how incredibly pregnant I am," she replied. "However, I live in New York in the twenty first century, not in regency England. I'm sure I'll be just fine," she picked up her handbag and brushed a kiss against his cheek. "You need to work on Nikki and I'm only going to distract you when I reorganise your bookshelves, again."

Castle grasped her wrist, "I know that you'll be fine, but that doesn't mean I don't worry," he paused to press a kiss against the back of her palm. "Just be careful, okay?"

* * *

The precinct was in chaos. The Godfather of a prolific New York mob had been taken down in a hit that had oh so conveniently happened in the Twelfth Precinct's jurisdiction. The guy had been so hated in Manhattan that finding a motive for murder was like shooting fish in a barrel. Half the underworld had wanted the guy dead and Ryan and Espo were desperately trying to figure out what illegal dealings had eventually done the guy in.

Kate had looked in on the interrogations from the observation room after expressly being forbidden by Gates to be in the box with known gangsters, because the idea that a criminal wouldn't hurt a child or pregnant woman was A) antiquated and B) stupid. Uniforms had been on fire, dragging in every known enemy of the victim. Every detective, bar Kate, was busy cross-examining possible suspects and the homicide department had taken over every single interrogation box in the precinct.

"Beckett," LT called out. "We got the wife."

Ryan and Espo had been convinced that they needed to get the wife to talk if they had a hope of narrowing the case down. Mob wives were notorious for keeping their eyes open and their mouths shut, but being damn well aware of their husbands' dealings.

Ryan and Espo had been in interrogation with the Mob's Underboss for two hours now. There was no way this woman was going to stick around. She was twitchy, which led Kate to conclude that she knew something and she was going to bolt sooner rather than later.

Ignoring the momentary twinge in her pelvis, Kate strode towards Gates's office. "Sir, Di Stefano's wife is here and she looks like she's about to bolt at any second. We gotta get her talking."

"Inform Detectives Ryan and Esposito," Gates ordered her.

"Ryan and Espo are in interrogation with Di Stefano's right hand man. Karpowski's in the box with the head of the Casadores. Everybody else who can run an interrogation is out chasing leads. We're going to lose this lead if we don't jump on it," Kate forced herself to stand straight, despite the momentary ache in her back. "Sir, there is nobody else. Let me do this."

Gates sighed heavily, slipping her glasses off the bridge of her nose. "I'll be watching the entire time. Don't think I won't hesitate to pull the plug."

* * *

Kate watched the woman size her up. "Mrs Di Stefano, I'm Detective Kate Beckett," She began. "Can I get you anything before we begin?"

"You're pregnant," the woman stated.

"I'm aware," Kate replied lightly, observing the way Mrs Di Stefano eyed her gargantuan midsection. That was something that Kate could use.

"Your husband allows you to work when you're pregnant?"

Kate chuckled and bit her lip as she felt a sharp pain ripple across her midsection. "I wouldn't say he's happy about it, but he's smart enough not to fight me."

Mrs Di Stefano gave a little hiccup.

"Mrs Di Stefano, we need your help. We need you to tell us anything you know about your husband's dealings. I can't bring the guy to justice if I don't know where to start."

"My husband was a dangerous man, Detective," Mrs Di Stefano growled. "Don't pretend that you're not rejoicing that he's been taken off the streets."

"Your husband is a homicide victim," Beckett clarified. "I don't care what he did when he was alive. What I care about is the fact that he's in the morgue and his murderer is out on the streets." Kate eased herself onto a chair. "You gotta help me, Mrs Di Stefano. Don't think that those snatches of conversations you heard when you were walking past his study were useless."

* * *

Ryan and Esposito got nothing out of their interrogation. The entire three hours had been a bust. The Underboss was more interested in spilling half-truths and remaining entirely silent when questioned.

"How the hell is Beckett dragging all of this out of her?" Ryan wondered, frantically taking notes as Mrs Di Stefano spilt every secret he knew. She'd been in there for close to two hours, gently guiding the mafioso's wife into giving them what they needed to hear.

"And why the hell is Beckett fidgeting like that?" Espo added. He'd seen Beckett interrogate for years and he'd never once seen her switch her weight from hip to hip like that.

"She keeps freezing up," Ryan added, watching how Kate would periodically stop what she was doing, looking up at the clock, tapping a rhythm against her thigh.

"This isn't the usual Beckett," Espo agreed.

"Are you both idiots?" Gates demanded from the doorway. She strode in and took one look at Beckett. "She's in labour," she assessed.

"What?" Espo spluttered, aghast. He jumped away from the observation mirror.

"Relax, detective. You can't catch it," Gates informed Esposito snarkily. "Damn stubborn woman. She's not going to quit." They watched in fascination, Kate's face a stoic mask, jaw clenching every few moments.

"Should we pull the pin?" Ryan asked hesitantly. He had very clear memories of Jenny's labour; it had involved a whole lot more hollering than Kate was doing.

"She'll kick all our asses," Esposito pointed out.

"Shh, I think she's finishing up," Gates hushed them both.

The three of them turned and watched as Kate escorted Mrs Di Stefano to the elevator.

"What the hell was that, Detective?" Gates demanded.

"Excuse me?" Kate asked, rocking her hips slightly as a wave of pain echoed through her abdomen.

"Don't think I don't know what a labouring woman looks like. I've been there three times."

Kate sighed, grateful that the pain seemed to abate for a moment. "Thousands of women give birth around the world every day. I was actually getting something out of her. What did you want me to do, sit at home and knit?" Kate froze, head bowed and hand pressed over her stomach. "Oooh, you might want to make sure you call maintenance," Kate muttered.

"I beg your pardon?" Gates asked.

Kate looked up. "My water just broke all over the bullpen floor."

* * *

**You can tell me how much you hate me for a cliffhanger ending... I can take it ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

**I don't think I've ever worked harder on a chapter to get it absolutely perfect... and my word have I learnt plenty (Youtube... I've seen things, man). Childbirth is fricken brutal, yo. Major kudos to all the mamas out there, you guys are champions. Again, many thanks to Kel and Ky for sharing war stories and providing me with the best contraception ever that will work for a very, very long time.**

**Many thanks to Annie for her love and support and to Tad for beta-ing and telling me not to nitpick. You girls rock.**

* * *

Esposito had gone pale and needed to sit down when he saw the puddle surrounding Kate. Ryan had immediately gotten on the phone to Castle as Kate called Dr Swinton, who had advised that Kate go home, take a shower and get her things before coming into the hospital. Ryan, in his infinite wisdom, had volunteered to take Kate home.

Castle was waiting anxiously in the lobby for her. "How do you feel?" He asked, looping an arm around her as he guided her to the elevator.

Kate grimaced, biting her lip at the crest of a contraction. "Ooh," she muttered.

"How far apart are they?"

Kate fought the urge to roll her eyes. She should have known that Castle was going to want to know every little detail of the labour. "Umm, when I was in interrogation they were about every fifteen minutes, but I wasn't really paying too much attention." She gave him a sheepish look. "You can kick my ass about that after I've given birth," she promised him.

"You're having the baby right now," Castle marvelled.

"We're going to meet the Minion," Kate grinned.

* * *

Castle was all but bouncing in his seat as he drove to the hospital, ready to be bellowed at and to let her break his fingers as she squeezed through her delivery. So far, Kate was calm, strapped into the passenger's seat, checking her watch when a contraction hit. She wasn't overly chatty, but that didn't surprise Castle. He could tell her excitement at meeting the baby was slowly dwindling, as her contractions got more intense.

Dr Swinton had advised that Kate not give birth in a conventional hospital if she wanted to avoid an epidural and a C-section because the head of Obstetrics was paranoid about being sued. Given that Dr Swinton had started her career as a doula slash midwife and was a huge supporter of natural childbirth, Kate had agreed that a birthing centre was her best option. Castle parked as close as he could to the doors of the Roosevelt Birthing Centre. Grabbing the baby bag out of the car, he quickly ducked around to Kate's side and helped her out. "Where are we at?" He asked her.

"Feeling good right now," Kate replied. "I think we're at about six minutes apart," she answered. She allowed him to loop an arm around her as he guided her towards the entrance. As they arrived at the desk, Kate abruptly leaned forward, sharply sucking in a breath as the most painful contraction yet hit. He ran his hand down her spine, desperately trying to soothe her. A clipboard was flung into his hands and he began to scrawl down Kate's medical information as quickly as he could so that she could get admitted and they could find out what was going on. Kate paced as he scribbled, rocking her hips in a circle in the hopes of helping the Minion move through her pelvis.

"How much do you hate me right now?" Castle asked her.

"I don't…" Kate paused, biting her lip until it turned white. "I don't hate you," she finally gasped. "Let's just get this kid out of me," she murmured.

* * *

The midwife Dr Swinton had chosen to assist Kate (the good doctor was in delivery with another patient, but handpicked the nurse to assist) was chirpy, bubbly and had hot pink hair, which instantly put Castle on edge.

"Okay, chickie babe, talk to me. Have your waters broken?"

Kate blushed, "All over the floor of my workplace."

The nurse nodded and made a note. "Great, and you've had contractions since then?"

Kate nodded, "They're about every five minutes now."

The nurse placed her hands on Kate's belly, waiting for the next contraction. She grinned at Kate and then made a note.

"Okay, so I'm going to need some pee, blood and to take a look downstairs," she announced, handing Kate a cup. Kate waddled obediently to the bathroom, returning sans leggings, clad only in one of Castle's old button downs. She accepted his help to get herself back up into the bed.

"Now, I'm a firm believer that if I'm taking a trip to Lady Town, we should be on a first name basis. So please, call me Lucy."

Kate grinned. She appreciated that Lucy was going to treat her like a normal person and not like she was made out of glass. "I'm Kate," she replied.

"Alrighty then," Lucy responded, before beginning the exam.

"I should call Alexis. She'll want to be here for this," Castle said quietly.

"Richard Castle, don't you dare!" Kate growled. "If Alexis turns up and sees me like this you'll turn her off sex for life."

His eyes lit up. Kate raised an eyebrow. "So help me, Castle, I want grandbabies someday and I am not waiting another thirty years for them," she growled threateningly. She felt the beginnings of a contraction, so she clamped her mouth shut and forced herself to breathe through the pain.

"I am pleased to announce that you are in active labour, Kate. We have four whole centimetres of action," Lucy announced, cheerfully ignoring the argument happening around her.

"Great," Kate agreed. "So when can I start walking around?" She asked.

"Here's the thing," Lucy began. "I know you want to start moving around and squatting and all the stuff that they told you at your pre natal class, but because your water has already broken, that might be difficult because you're likely to keep gushing amniotic fluid all over the place," Lucy squeezed Kate's knee. "So don't worry about the mess, but you may not feel comfortable. My advice is that you stand, absolutely, but try walking in here before you go anywhere down the hall. If you're lucky, the little lady's head will block most of the flow. The best thing I can tell you is to just do what feels natural to you, okay?"

Kate nodded. She silently endured the blood pressure test and looked away when Lucy expertly drew blood. She extended her hands to Castle, "Help me up?" she requested.

"What can I do?" he asked.

Kate shrugged, waddling to seat herself of a birthing ball. "There's not much you can do," she replied. "You can't have the baby for me," she pointed out as she gently began to bounce up and down on the ball, cringing at the dribble she felt. She froze when a contraction hit.

Castle could see her holding her breath. He knelt down in front of her. "Kate, look at me," he ordered gently. "You need to breathe." Placing his hands on her shoulders, he maintained eye contact and gently breathed out on her face, the way they'd learnt in class. Kate quickly picked up his rhythm, unclenching her teeth and breathing along with him.

"That helped," she whispered. "Next time I have a contraction, I want you to press down on my back," she asked him, moving his hand to where she wanted it.

Castle nodded seriously, desperate to be able to do anything to help Kate along, moving so that he was behind her. "Is it bad that I'm still excited?" he asked.

Kate couldn't help her smile. "Not at all," she murmured, leaning back to rest her head against his shoulder. She felt the warning tingle that a contraction was coming, "okay, now," she ordered, forcing herself to breathe as she felt the wave of pain hit. His hand was warm and solid against her back; gently massaging against the onslaught of pain.

"Did that help?" He asked. Kate nodded, swiping at the sweat that was forming on her brow.

"You're doing so well," he whispered, brushing a kiss against her cheek.

Kate carefully stood up, hobbling over to the squat bar at the end of the bed. "Let's try and use gravity so we can meet this girl," she suggested.

* * *

Kate was leaning against Castle, balancing on one knee, her hands gripping his shoulders. They'd been at the hospital for eight hours already and Kate was fast becoming frustrated at her lack of control over the situation. "Tell me about Alexis," she requested.

"What about her?" he asked, puzzled by such a question.

"Anything," Kate begged. "Give me a light at the end of the tunnel."

Castle smiled, "When Alexis was about four, she had this one dress she loved," he began. He felt Kate lean her head against his shoulder, so he trailed his nails up and down her spine as he spoke. "She called it the favourite dress and she wore it every day. She looked adorable," he recalled fondly. "But she had a growth spurt. It didn't matter that the favourite dress didn't fit her. She insisted that she didn't care it was tight. Wore a cardigan over it so she could have it slightly unzipped at the back. Even then, she was a stubborn little thing." He ignored the uncomfortable pricks of Kate's nails digging into his back as she was in the throes of pain. "She cried when I told her she couldn't wear it any more. I couldn't bear part with it. I actually still have it in storage."

"We'll have to get it out again when this one is big enough," Kate commented hoarsely.

"She'll look adorable in it," Castle agreed.

"Keep talking," Kate requested, struggling to stand and moving to settle astride on a chair.

Castle ruminated over several different memories, before settling on one. "Alexis was about seven when I read her a novel for the very first time. We used to curl up in her bed every night and read a chapter a night."

"What book?" Kate asked, gently rocking her hips back and forward.

"_The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,_" He answered fondly. "I still remember her arguing til she was blue in the face that I'd read it wrong and that Aslan was not dead. She was devastated when she tore the book out of my hands and read it for herself."

Kate looked over at him. "I think we should start with _Harry Potter._"

* * *

"What do you mean, I'm only seven centimetres?" She demanded, looking up to stare incredulously at Lucy "It's been fifteen hours!" Kate had been hesitant to agree to an examination after her water had broken (she had read way too much about possible infection) but was desperate for an update on how she was going.

Kate's outburst was more than Castle had been able to get out of her in the last four hours. The more intense her contractions got, the less talkative Kate became. Her face was an impassive mask, eyes squeezing shut, barely making a sound as wave after wave of pain came.

"Kate, we have good signs here," Lucy reassured her. "You're almost totally effaced and be grateful you haven't had the urge to bear down."

Kate leaned forward, pressing her head against the bed as she had a contraction. Castle heard a tiny whimper of pain escape her lips. His beautiful, stoic wife hadn't so much as squeaked so far and he had never felt so helpless in his life. "Maybe it's time we talked about pain relief options," he suggested lightly.

"No!" Kate interjected vehemently. "Absolutely not."

"We have another option," Lucy interjected politely. "There's a birthing tub available at the moment."

"Will that help?" Kate asked.

"It can," Lucy agreed. "Part of the pain you're feeling is the pressure of the baby moving through your pelvis. The water can take some of the weight, which will help. It can also speed things up. It can't hurt to try."

Kate looked over at Castle, trying to gauge his reaction. He simply shrugged. "You're the one doing the work here," he said quietly.

"Let's try it," Kate agreed.

Kate stripped down to the simple black cotton bra she was wearing and sank into the warm water. The result was instant. She felt less ungainly and huge and she was able to move with a surprising amount of grace.

"Now, there's one thing to keep in mind, babe," Lucy said warningly. "You're in transition now. This is usually when women start threatening to kill me if I don't give them an epi. Everything is going to start getting a whole lot more intense. You're going to have less time to rest. The good thing is that your baby is almost here."

Kate nodded, wisely catching onto Lucy's euphemism (she was well aware that more intense was simply a polite way of saying more painful). A chill wracked her body and she leaned over the edge of the tub. A low keening escaped her lips when the longest and most intense contraction yet ripped through her midsection. She couldn't even imagine what it would have been like outside of the water. She'd been in less pain when she was shot in the chest.

Castle was nearly beside himself with anxiety. He'd never felt so useless. "Kate," he said quietly, cupping her cheek with his palm. "Kate, _please_," he begged. "What can I do?"

"It hurts," she whimpered. She let out a moan of pain. "Castle, I'm scared."

That was it. Her confession completely did him in. Castle stood up and began to strip off his clothes.

"Castle, what are you doing?" Kate asked weakly, relishing in the period between her body attacking her.

Clad only in his boxers, Castle stepped into the tub. "We're in this together, remember? Partners."

Despite the absolute agony she was in, feeling cold and hot all at once, his words pierced her heart. She knew that she'd been internalising all of her pain, shouldering the burden alone, but she didn't have to. She had a good man who was determined to be by her side the entire time. Kate was determined to prove how tough she was, gritting her teeth and staying silent through the pain. There was no point feeling trapped by the weight of her stupidity. She propped herself on her knees, one of the jets of the tub hitting her square in the back. When the next contraction hit, Kate squeezed Castle's hands, not fighting to contain the low moan that resonated in her chest.

Kate looked up at Castle, suddenly anxious. "What if I poop?"

Castle smiled at her, daring to brush a kiss on her forehead. "Then I will politely look the other way and block it from my memory, lest it destroy our sex life forever."

"Oh, we are never having sex again."

* * *

Dr Swinton made her way into the room, pale blonde hair glowing in the dimmed light. "How's everything going?"

"I've been told we're never having sex again, she's threatened to cut off the family jewels and I got sent to the other end of the tub," Castle informed her.

"Sounds about right. Kate, how are you feeling?" Dr Swinton asked.

Kate was kneeling in the tub, one hand on her stomach and a frown on her face. "I think…" she paused, trying to find the words to explain the colossal pressure on her pubic bone. "I think I want to push," She decided.

"Well alright then," Dr Swinton chirped, pulling on a pair of elbow length gloves. "Just settle back into the water and let me check that we're on track." She performed a quick pelvic examination. "Here's how this works, Kate. I want you to find a position you feel comfortable in. When your next contraction comes, I want you to breathe through it as you push. Try and get three breaths per contraction, but I want you to do what feels right for you. Don't be scared to move around if you need to."

Kate nodded. This was it. There was one more hurdle before her beautiful little girl was in her arms. She slid down the edge of the tub, looking intently at Castle. "Are you ready?" She asked him.

He gave her a roguish grin, "Always."

Kate moved so that she was seated in front of him, his hands bracing her knees, hips on a slightly downward slope.

Dr Swinton planted herself on one side of the tub, Lucy on the other. "Okay, now when the contraction comes, I want you to curl forward and push," Dr Swinton advised.

"Try and relax your lower half as much as you can," Lucy advised. "The less tension there is, the quicker you can meet the munchkin."

Kate nodded. After the months of growing, weeks spent petrified as she was glued to the couch and hours of agony, she finally felt a tiny bit of control. She was born to do this. Her body was taking over and she was going to join the ranks of the millions of women who had done this around the world. Feeling the starts of a contraction, she drew in a deep breath and pushed. She was still in a world of hurt, but she finally felt like she was working with the hurt, not against it. Her groans echoed throughout the room and she slumped back against Castle as the contraction stopped.

"You're Superwoman," he murmured in her ear. She let out a half-hearted chuckle.

Lucy held out a bottle of water with a straw for Kate to sip on. "That was a big one," she commented, her cheerfulness and spunk unaffected by the noise in the room. "You're doing great. Your body totally knows what to do."

"Are you ready to do it again?" Dr Swinton asked.

Kate nodded, preparing herself for the next contraction.

The pattern continued. Kate would bear down as a contraction hit, pushing as hard as she could. In between pushing, Kate was infinitely grateful she'd agreed to labour in a tub, the warm water supporting her weight and giving her the buoyancy to be able to completely relax, content in the knowledge that Castle was right there behind her. The water triggered her muscle memory; she'd instantly felt calmer from the second she'd entered the tub. "She keeps moving back," Kate gasped, her desperation to have her baby in her arms overwhelming her. "I've been pushing for an hour and she keeps slipping back."

"This is how it works, Kate," Dr Swinton reassured her. "Your baby slips back a tiny bit with each contraction because you need to stretch internally. If she didn't you'd be torn to shreds. But each time you have a contraction, she moves just a little bit further forward. I promise."

Kate nodded. She moved so that she was on her hands and knees, desperately hoping that a change of position would aid her baby's descent. Her next contraction came and she pushed, dimly aware that someone was pouring warm water on her back. The contraction stopped, but Kate didn't. She was determined to get this baby the hell out of her and she cursed loudly as she kept pushing.

"Whoa, Kate, are you still having a contraction?" Lucy asked urgently. Kate barely managed to shake her head, sucking in a breath and continuing to try to bear down. "Kate, _stop!"_ Lucy ordered.

"I just want her out of me," Kate whimpered, staring at Lucy desperately.

"Oh, babe, I know you do," Lucy soothed her. "This is just how it works. Mama Nature is giving you a break between pushing to get your shit together. You gotta trust her. Pushing when you don't need to will just going to wear you out faster. I know it sucks, but just roll with the punches."

Kate nodded, biting her lip and bracing herself. She knew there was no point being stubborn. The next contraction came and she obeyed the commands of her doctor and her body, stopping at the end of the wave. "There is so much stretching happening down there," Kate gasped. She was shocked by her ability to articulate what was happening through the birth. She had honestly expected to just feel agony, not to be aware of what was happening as her daughter made her way into the world.

"That's awesome," Lucy marvelled.

"It is?" Castle asked. He'd been mostly silent during the birth, doing his best to be a pillar of support for Kate, sensing that his voice added to the mix would only distract her.

"Yes. It means that you're close."

"Oh thank God," Kate sighed. She moved back to her modified perch on Castle's lap. "I want you near me," she murmured.

He kissed her sweaty brow, "You amaze me. Nikki Heat has nothing on you."

Kate placed his hands on her knees, resting her palms over his hands. "Talk to me through this, okay?" She requested.

Through her next contraction, she was aware of Castle murmuring encouragements to her as she pushed. "I swear I can feel her head right there," Kate marvelled in the breaks between pushing.

"You're so close now, Kate," Dr Swinton urged her. "One more push and you'll be able to feel her head."

The contraction came and Kate didn't fight, she just dumbly went along with it. She was operating entirely on instinct, her actions as natural as breathing.

"Reach down Kate," Lucy suggested. It was real. A rush of adrenaline hit Kate square in the chest. She reached down and touched the soft downy hair of her little girl, gently guiding Castle's hand to do the same.

"There she is," Castle sighed.

"Now Kate, I know you want to just push and get her out, but that is the worst thing for you to do right now. I need you to fight those instincts and pant for just a little while," Dr Swinton advised.

There was no "ring of fire" that Kate had read about as the baby was crowning. There was a hell of a lot of stretching (like trying to pull the corners of your lips away from each other) and tonne of pressure. Lucy quietly explained that the water had softened her perineum, allowing it to stretch better as the widest part of the baby's head passed through her vagina.

Kate concentrated on her breathing, imagining blowing out the candles on her daughter's first birthday cake as she desperately fought the urge to push.

"How does the baby breathe?" Castle asked Lucy urgently, a sudden wave of panic gripping him as he stared into the face of the cerise haired midwife.

"Don't panic, Mr C. Your girl has been floating in amniotic fluid for nine months. She's got what's called a dive reflex. She won't take a breath until air hits her face. Until then, the placenta provides her oxygen."

Castle nodded, totally relieved.

Kate scooted forward, squatting against her heels in the tub as Dr Swinton guided her through the delivery of the baby's shoulders. Acting completely on instinct, Kate placed her hands in the water. With one final push, Kate felt her baby slide out of her and she intuitively reached forward to catch her.

Time stood still as Kate lifted her little girl from the water. Her perfect little head was covered in a thick cap of dark hair, doe eyes wide and inquiring. Ten perfect little fingers and toes. Castle moved behind Kate, his chin resting on her shoulder as he took in the sight of his baby.

"Oh my god, she's perfect," he sighed.

Kate was still struck dumb, but she instinctively moved her daughter against her chest, rubbing her back until the calm little girl let out a perfect cry.

"Oh, we did it," Castle whispered, in complete awe, completely unashamed as a few tears leaked down his cheeks.

"She's here," Kate sighed. "She's finally here." She couldn't take her eyes off her little girl. Lucy assisted Kate through the delivery of her placenta and then helped her out of the tub and into bed, delaying the clamping of the cord for a good ten minutes. Kate numbly followed instructions, staring at the tiny human in her arms.

"Castle," Kate whispered. "Castle, help me take this off," she requested, leaning forward so that Castle could unclasp her soaked bra and help her slip it off. Kate lay back on the bed, a warm blanket draped across her and the baby.

"Kate, you birth like a champion," Dr Swinton commented as she performed a post natal examination. "Only a few grazes. You won't need a stitch." Dr Swinton was used to being ignored at this point. She started at the happy family. "I'll leave you," She murmured. "Hit the call button if you need anything."

Kate's hand rested gently on the baby, keeping her safely positioned on her chest. "Castle, we made her."

"What do you think?" Castle asked quietly. "Did we get the name right?"

Kate looked down at her daughter, her wide blue eyes piercing her soul. "Olive Johanna Castle," Kate tested out loud. "I love it. And I love her. And God, Castle. I love you," Kate sighed earnestly. "Thank you."

Castle brushed a hand over Kate's matted hair. "Don't thank me. You did all the work."

He looked down at Olive, her little hands stretching, exploring Kate's chest. "What's she doing?" He asked, watching as her little head squirmed towards Kate's chest.

Kate looked down in awe. "I read about this," Kate told him. "Babies have an instinctive urge to breastfeed. If you leave them alone, they'll eventually latch on and begin to feed on their own."

"That's incredible," Castle sighed.

They were transfixed. Olive slowly wiggled, her rosebud mouth open, slowly making her way towards Kate's breast, exploring with her fingers, her little tongue sticking out. The warm, gentle weight of her daughter was overwhelming and Kate didn't bother fighting the tears that fell down her cheeks. She leaned forward to press her lips against her daughter's downy head, inhaling the intoxicating smell of baby. She didn't bother fighting the bubble of joy that escaped her, giggling when Olive finally attached herself and began to feed.

"She's already a genius," Castle sighed.

"She takes after her mom," Kate joked.

Castle gently tilted the bed up, before planting himself next to Kate, watching his daughter feed. She drank her fill and Kate carefully detached her, placing her in Castle's waiting arms. "Oh, Daddy," Kate sighed. Olive was a tiny little thing and Castle's thick arms enveloped her. "I told you fatherhood was sexy on you," Kate sighed, leaning back against the pillows.

* * *

**And there we have it... the Minion has a name.**

**For the record, via the magic of YouTube you can watch both a water birth and a breast crawl (I have). I know I went slightly left of centre here, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. I don't think I've ever been prouder of something I've written. **

**One more chapter to go ;)**


	11. Chapter 11

**The response to the last chapter was absolutely phenomenal. You guys are amazing.**

**A few people did mention that they don't like the name Olive... allow me to explain my choice. For those who know anything about me, you know I'm a vintage loving gal. The name Olive was quite popular in the 1940s and 50s and it is one of the names on my list for what I'll call my kids. I was really excited to write this fic and it felt like the kid of name that Kate and Castle would pick. In my personal headcanon, Castle reads a lot of murder mystery novels from the noir period (30s-50s) and I can totally imagine a feisty smooth talking dame named Olive in one of these books that would almost serve as an influence for Nikki Heat and I thought that Kate would want a slightly unusual name for her daughter and Olivia just felt too commonplace and Twelfth Night to me (side note: I despise Olivia in that play). This kid needed some gumption and that name give it to her... that's why I kept the name secret until the bub was born ;)**

**For the last time... Thank you Em, for your amazing, tireless work in beta-ing for me. You're amazing, I adore you and I think I owe you a drink for this (which you can collect on our fandom weekend)**

* * *

Castle had helped Kate shower and change into her pyjamas when the nurses had come to take Olive for her first set of medical checks. Kate was glad she hadn't fought Castle when he insisted on a private room at the birthing centre; he'd been encouraged by both Dr Swinton and Lucy to stay the night and Kate certainly wasn't going to fight it. She had read plenty about post birthing blues and connecting with your infant and she was adamant that Castle was going to be there to bond with their daughter and to keep her head on straight.

Kate has settled back into bed, exhaustion finally beginning to creep in when Lucy wheeled a swaddled up Olive back into the room. "So, she's had all her tests," she announced quietly. "Everything is great. She was born on the 14th of May at 2:47 am. Six pounds six ounces, twenty inches long. She's basically perfect. So, Daddy, you might want to call the family." Lucy wheeled the bassinet to the bed. "She's hungry."

"Already?" Kate asked.

"Her stomach is the size of a marble. At this point, don't even try to get her on a schedule. Just make sure she's eaten every four hours," Lucy advised. Olive's little mouth was open, her tongue sticking as she rooted around for a feed.

"You want to try and feed her before she starts crying, so it's a good idea to start looking for her hungry signs," Lucy advised. "Now, I know you guys have already done this, but I'll stick around this time and we'll see if you can't get this happening perfectly."

Kate nodded hesitantly, suddenly nervous. "Okay," she agreed, unfastening the buttons of her pyjama shirt and accepting her daughter from the midwife.

Castle sat back quietly, observing as Kate listened carefully and put Lucy's advice into action. He knew what a perfectionist she was and he privately wondered if she was going to struggle with not being perfect at something first go. He shouldn't have doubted her. When Olive failed to attach, Kate simply looked to Lucy for assistance and tried again. After a few attempts, Olive latched on and was happily suckling away.

"Now, you make sure that Dad does his fair share of the work, putting her back to sleep," Lucy advised. "Good night!"

"Come sit with me Castle," Kate murmured, nodding to the spot next to her on the bed. Castle sat down next to her as she carefully switched sides and encouraged Olive to continue feeding.

"How are you feeling?" Castle asked.

Kate sighed, looking down fondly at Olive. "I can't explain it," she uttered. "I'm on top of the world, I'm exhausted. I'm terrified, I'm excited. I did it, Castle. I'm a Mom now." She smiled when Castle pressed a kiss on her cheekbone, his finger gently tracing the curve of Olive's ear. "What about you? You're a Dad again."

"Oh Kate," he marvelled. "I am just in awe of you. I cannot believe what you went through. I've always known you were tough as nails, but you had to go and prove it and give me this gorgeous girl. I don't think I've ever been so in love with you."

Olive had fallen asleep whilst feeding, limp and peaceful in Kate's arms. Castle rested his head on Kate's shoulder, "Look at her. She's a stuffed Olive."

Kate chuckled. "How long have you been sitting on that joke?" She teased. She gently placed the baby in Castle's bear like embrace. "You heard the nurse, Castle. It's your turn." Kate sighed. "Wake me if you need me."

Castle stood up, brushing his lips across Kate's forehead. "Rest up, sweetheart. You've earned it."

* * *

Kate awoke to an empty bed. Despite having been up and down all night for feeds, she'd been able to sleep on her stomach for the first time in months and had promptly crashed. Stretching out on the bed, she looked over to the rocking chair next to the bassinet. Castle had removed his shirt and stripped Olive down to her diaper, placing her on his chest, quietly chatting to her.

"Good morning," Kate sighed.

"Morning," Castle responded.

"What time is it?" Kate wondered, rolling over experimentally and climbing out of bed. She walked over to stand next to Castle. "Good morning, princess," she murmured to Olive. "Has she been behaving?"

"She's been perfect," Castle replied fondly. "It's a little before nine," He informed her.

"You called everybody, right?" Kate asked.

"Sent a text when you were in the shower last night," Castle confirmed.

Kate briefly checked her phone, "Dad says he'll be here at ten," she announced.

"Alexis has already demanded photos," Castle replied.

Olive flung one of her arms out from underneath the blanket. Kate couldn't help but want to touch it, her heart melting when her daughter's hand wrapped around her finger. "You know, when I was a kid, my Mom told me that if a baby holds onto your finger like this, it means they love you," Kate reminisced fondly.

"How could she not?" Castle replied.

Kate gave him a slightly watery smile. "Okay, you need to put a shirt on and find out what is happening with my breakfast. The Minion needs to eat and get prettied up before our guests get here."

* * *

Castle had finally surrendered a sleeping Olive, swaddled up like a burrito baby, to her crib. Kate had just attacked her breakfast and managed to get a brush through her hair. "I'm going to have to fight you to hold the baby, aren't I?" Kate asked, giving herself a once over in the mirror to ensure she looked acceptable for visitors.

"You're the milk machine. She likes you better," Castle replied.

Kate shot him a look and rolled her eyes.

Castle wrapped his arms around her, privately marvelling in how snugly she fit into his embrace again. "I promise I'll do my best to share," he mumbled in her ear. He led Kate to sit down on the couch. "Now don't freak out, but I got you something," he informed her, handing her the velvet box that he'd had hiding in his pocket from the second he'd gotten the call that Kate was in labour.

"Castle…" Kate began, clearly about to tell him that she didn't need to be bought gifts.

"Don't," he interrupted. "After that effort, you don't get to fight me spoiling you."

Kate shot him an impish grin and opened the box. A pair of pear cut emerald earrings sat nestled into the box. A small band of diamonds surrounded the emerald like a halo and Kate was completely certain that Castle had designed them himself to feature Olive's birthstone. "They're beautiful," Kate smiled, leaning forward to brush a kiss over Castle's lips. "Thank you," she breathed, immediately slipping the studs into her ears.

There was a knock at the door. Kate looked up and saw her father leaning against the frame, a huge bunch of flowers in his hands. "Hey, Daddy," Kate greeted him quietly.

"Oh, Katie," he said, eyes alight with pride. He placed the flowers on a bench, pulling his daughter into a hug, murmuring in her ear how proud he was of her.

When she pulled away, Jim extended his hand to Castle, "Congratulations, Rick," he grinned, amused at the excitement that was buzzing off his son in law like an aura.

"Would you like to meet her?" Kate asked, carefully picking Olive up out of the bassinet. "Dad, this is Olive Johanna Castle."

Jim was transfixed, instantly in love with the little girl in his arms. He hadn't felt this way since his own daughter was born. "Hi there, Livvy Jo," he whispered.

Kate looked over at Castle, sliding an arm around his waist. Jo was the nickname her Dad always used for her mother.

"Katie, she's amazing," Jim decided.

"We're pretty happy with her ourselves," Kate replied. She'd stepped away from Castle for all of a second and he already had the digital camera out (thank God he'd had the good sense to know that if he'd attempted to use it during the labour, it would have ended up in the tub with Kate, completely useless).

"One for the baby album Jim," Castle instructed. "Give me a big smile, you're Olive's first guest."

Jim gently handed Olive back to Kate (who had very carefully sat down on the couch); pulling out the iPhone that she'd gotten him for Christmas (that he still didn't really know how to use). "I'm the first of the guys to become a grandpa," he announced proudly, "You gotta let me fill up my brag book. Smile."

"Dad, I look like crap," Kate whined.

"Take that back," her father and husband echoed.

Kate shot them both a patented Beckett glare. "I just squeezed a human out of me. I know how I look."

"You look fantastic. Good, we're all agreed then," Castle shot back.

Kate stuck her tongue out, before obeying and smiling for the camera.

"Good morning," Alexis greeted the room.

"Hey, Pumpkin," Castle greeted her.

"Oh my goodness, where is she?" Martha exclaimed, gliding into the room in a flurry of linen and perfume. Martha immediately sat herself down next to Kate, "Welcome to the club, darling!" She greeted her enthusiastically.

"I'm glad to be a member," Kate replied.

"Oh, look at her," Martha sighed, stroking a perfectly manicured finger against Olive's cheek. Olive's serious blue eyes observed the ginger matriarch, totally relaxed when she left her mother's embrace. "She's very calm," Martha commented.

"I'm convinced it's the water birth," Kate replied. "Unless she's hungry, you don't get a peep out of her."

Kate looked over to where Castle had his arms wrapped tightly around Alexis. She shot them both a grin. He was such a good father.

"Alexis, come on over here," Kate called out. "There's somebody I think you need to meet." Kate gingerly moved so that there was space for Alexis on the couch. Alexis was practically vibrating with excitement, but froze when Martha handed her the baby. "Congratulations Alexis," Kate murmured. "You're a big sister."

"Oh, wow," Alexis sighed joyfully. "She's gorgeous, Kate."

"Richard, come here," Martha called out. "Don't you think Olive looks just like Alexis did when she was a baby?"

Castle came over, scrutinising his daughters. "She does," Castle agreed. "The eyes and forehead."

"Really?" Alexis asked.

"Oh yeah," Castle agreed.

"That's cool," Alexis decided, focussing back on her little sister, chattering to her quietly. Castle quickly snapped a photo of the two of them.

Family photos had been taken and Olive had just been returned to her father's embrace when she began to fuss.

"Castle, could you hunt me down a strawberry milkshake and a BLT?" Kate inquired, discreetly hinting that she wanted a little bit of privacy.

"No problems, sweetheart," Castle replied, brushing a kiss on her forehead.

Martha instantly cottoned on. "I was in such a tizzy to get here this morning I didn't have my morning macchiato. Jim, you want to join me so we can start figuring out how to spoil this kid rotten?"

"You can show me the ropes," Jim agreed, standing and opening the door for Martha.

"I remember needing some quiet time when I was first feeding. You just let me know if you need a little longer," Martha reassured her furtively.

"Thanks Martha," Kate replied, rubbing Olive's back gently, trying to soothe her a little.

Alexis quietly stood up, ready to follow her grandmother from the room.

"Alexis," Kate called out. "You don't have to go if you don't want to."

"You don't want some privacy? I can go find you some food if you want Dad here instead."

"I actually wouldn't mind some girl time," Kate replied. "If this going to make you uncomfortable, go for a walk. I'm just saying you don't _have_ to leave if you don't want to." Kate walked over to the rocking chair, propping herself with pillows.

"Well, I don't want to bail on you completely," Alexis agreed, planting herself on the couch.

"We're both still new at this, so this could take a while," Kate warned, unbuttoning her shirt and offering a mewling Olive her breast. She attached in record time.

"I saw her bedroom," Alexis commented. She looked away from the wall and to where Kate was sitting.

"Did you like it?"

"It's really pretty. It was nice to see a girl's room that isn't pink and sparkly."

"I'm glad you think so," Kate stood up, moving over to the change table to check out the diaper situation. "You gave me the idea."

Kate looked over at Alexis, who was rapidly blinking back tears. "You're so sweet, Kate. I'm glad you're my stepmother," Alexis said sincerely.

Kate made quick work of the diaper change, before sitting back down to finish the feed. "I'm really glad Olive has somebody like you to look up to. If she turns out even half as well as you have, I'll count myself very proud."

"I was thinking," Alexis began. "When you go home, it's going to be crazy, isn't it?"

Kate shrugged. "I hadn't really given too much thought to it, but yeah, I guess so."

"I would really like to come stay at the loft for a couple of weeks," Alexis said. "You and Dad are going to be so busy getting used to having Olive there and if I'm there, I can do little things like cook and clean so that you can make sure you're getting enough rest."

"Oh honey," Kate sighed affectionately. "Don't think you have to abandon your life because I've just had a baby."

"I'm not abandoning my life. Kate, I've wanted to be a big sister since I was eight years old. I want to be home so I can actually experience it."

Kate stood up and crossed the room, depositing Olive in Alexis's arms and placing a burp cloth over her shoulder. "Well then, big sister. I guess you better get to work."

* * *

The boys had come to visit not long after Jim had left to go brag at one of his meetings. Lanie had come into the hospital room and squealed over Olive and even Captain Gates had stopped by with an enormous bunch of flowers from everybody in Homicide.

There was nothing else to be done. It was time to take Olive home.

She had fussed slightly when first clipped into her seat (away from the comfort of Mom or Dad's arms) but the rhythm of the car quickly lulled her, blue eyes open and observing as Kate sat next to her in the back of the car.

Kate shot Castle a smile when she opened the door to the loft. He'd transported a small florist's store into the house. She thanked him softly, brushing a kiss against his lips.

Olive was fed and changed. She slept quietly in the smaller bassinet in the main bedroom. Intellectually, Kate knew that Olive would be just when she left the room. She knew that, but she still found herself rooted to the spot, staring at the beautiful baby girl she'd grown from scratch. She smiled when she saw her husband on the opposite side of the crib, a similar look of awe on his face.

"I'm so glad I managed to convince you to come with me and meet Pauline and Mikey," Castle whispered to her.

Kate stepped around the bassinet, standing so her back was against his chest and his arms wrapped around her stomach. "I'm so glad you gave her to me." She turned slightly to look at him. "What do we do with her now?"

* * *

**Dear readers, this is where I bid you adieu. I'm going to be pulling back from writing for a little while for a few reasons (there's been a recent spate of nastiness, it has begun to feel a little like a chore rather than fun and I have university studies that need to take my priority) so I can gain perspective of my life and get my love for writing back again. This is also likely to be the last multichapter fic I ever write... but who knows when the inspiration for a one shot (Olive verse or otherwise) will strike.**

**So thank you to you all. You're amazing and I've loved the journey with you all. I would love to hear your thoughts.**

**If you really can't bear the idea of life without me, hit me up on either Twitter or Tumblr... brookemopolitan**

**Kisses and baby cuddles to you all!**

**Brooke x**


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